Baldwin, Johnson divided on Paycheck Fairness Act

U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson split today on an "equal pay" bill in the Senate.

Republicans blocked debate on the Paycheck Fairness Act, which aims to provide pay equity for women, on a 53-44 vote. Baldwin voted with Democrats to proceed to a vote while Johnson voted with Republicans to block that effort. Baldwin slammed Republicans for the move.

"It's time for my Republican colleagues to put politics aside and stop ignoring pay inequity," said Baldwin, D-Madison. "In America today, millions of women are working full-time, yet far too many are barely getting by, and far too many women and children are living in poverty. That's simply wrong."

Johnson, R-Oshkosh, said he believes in the concept of "equal pay for equal work," adding 73 percent of his Senate staffers are women. However, he argued the bill before the Senate would do nothing to further that goal.

"The Paycheck Fairness Act is nothing more than a cynical political exercise that, if enacted, would severely hamper merit-based pay systems and cause workplace conflict," Johnson said. "This bill would harm our economy and result in fewer opportunities and downward pressure on wages for all Americans."