Senate Republicans once again voted Monday to block a Democratic bill aimed at narrowing the national gender wage gap.
The Senate voted 52 to 40 in favor of limiting debate on the Paycheck Fairness Act, falling well short of the 60 votes required.
The vote came down along party lines, with all of the Republicans in the chamber voting to block the legislation along with Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., noted that this marks the second time this year that Republicans have blocked the Senate from giving women the tools they need to ensure they receive the same pay as men for performing the same work.
"In 2014, more than 50 years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act, it is simply unacceptable that American women take home on average 77 cents for every dollar their male colleagues earn for doing the same work," Reid said. "But Republicans do not see this as a problem."
He added, "Not only is the wage gap in our country unfair, but it also hurts our economy. Pay inequality will cost the average working woman $464,320 over her lifetime. That is money American families could be using to buy groceries, pay the bills or save for a rainy day."
The Paycheck Fairness Act would purportedly help ensure equal pay for equal work by prohibiting retaliation against employees who discuss their pay, requiring companies to explain pay disparities, and making it easier for women that have faced discrimination to file class-action lawsuits.
Meanwhile, Republicans have described the bill as a "desperate political ploy" designed to increase support among women voters ahead of the midterm elections.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ken., has accused Democrats of introducing "messaging bills" that are intentionally designed to fail so that they can make campaign ads about them failing.
Democrats had previously planned to hold votes on bills raising the minimum wage and allowing students to refinance their loans.
However, Politico reported that Republicans' decision to vote in favor of beginning debate on the Paycheck Fairness Act could force Democratic leaders to abandon revisiting those votes.
The Senate still needs to pass a government funding bill and approve President Barack Obama's plan to arm Syrian rebels before recessing at the end of the week.
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