Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes (D) attacked Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell after his campaign claimed in a recent interview that he supported fair pay for women, even though the Kentucky Republican had voted four times against major bills that seek to fix gender pay disparities.
McConnell campaign spokesman Allison More said in a Friday interview with the Associated Press that “as the father of three daughters, fair pay for women is more than a talking point for Sen. McConnell. It’s something he’s worked to achieve his entire career by setting an example for others and promoting thoughtful policies to ensure talent and overcome bias.”
Grimes’ campaign was quick to point out that McConnell voted twice against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and also voted twice against the Paycheck Fairness Act, laws meant to help women facing pay discrimination in the workplace. McConnell’s campaign has also highlighted his support for the Violence Against Women Act even though he’s consistently voted against legislation meant to reduce domestic violence.
Grimes’ campaign hit back by touting a memo listing her stances on childcare, expanding access to education, preventing domestic violence, increasing the minimum wage and and pay equity in the workplace. The campaign also announced on Tuesday the endorsement of Lilly Ledbetter, the namesake behind the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and a woman who unknowingly faced pay discrimination for years while working in a Goodyear tire plant.
“Alison Lundergan Grimes will fight every day for fairness and for better lives for Kentucky women and their families,” Ledbetter says in the endorsement released Tuesday. “Meanwhile, Mitch McConnell will continue to serve the demands of big corporate donors. The choice for Kentucky women — for all Kentuckians — is clear.”
In the memo, Grimes calls for tax breaks for Kentucky businesses that provide on-site child care, reducing pay inequity and increasing the minimum wage, and supporting legislation to prevent domestic violence.
“As Kentucky’s first woman Senator, Alison Lundergan Grimes will continue being a staunch advocate for women and their families,” Grimes spokeswoman Charly Norton wrote in the memo. “She will seek common ground and work across the aisle for solutions that put Kentucky and our country back on the right track. The contrast with Mitch McConnell could not be starker.”
Read the memo below:
This post has been updated.
