Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Credit: ABC News)
The party's newest package of bills is a desperate plea for female voters -- and far too little too late
This article originally appeared on AlterNet
http://www.salon.com/2014/08/02/4_reasons_gops_new_war_for_women_is_a_ridiculous_joke_partner/On Wednesday, a group of GOP lawmakers led by Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Washington) unveiled a package of bills directed at improving the economic circumstances of American women. The intended goal of the legislation—which includes tax credits for childcare and a bill that prevents retaliation against employees who ask about equal pay—is to demonstrate that the Republican Party does in fact care about women’s rights. As Representative Mike Coffman (R-Colorado) said at the press conference announcing the bill package, he’s proud to stand by his colleagues in a “war for women.” Unfortunately for Coffman and the rest of the House GOP leadership, their legislation is actually just a laughably belated, transparent, last-ditch effort to attract female voters before the midterm elections in November.
Republicans certainly need to improve their messaging towards women; as the Washington Post pointed out, Mitt Romney lost the female vote to President Obama by 11 percentage points in 2012 and polls consistently show that respondents trust Democrats over Republicans to handle issues that directly affect women. But this package of bills is too little, too late from a party that has worked to systematically dismantle women’s rights to health care, reproductive choices and fair pay. There are too many examples to count, but here are four of the most egregious Republican attacks on women—and reasons that no one could take their newfound interest in gender equality seriously.
Stephanie Doty
Women’s Issues Matter
August 2, 2014
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