Political Quotes

“Mr. President, the newspaper articles I have submitted for the Record were written by the editorial boards of the Boston Globe, the Chicago Tribune, and the Washington Post, while the other op ed, written by a guest columnist, appeared in the New York Times. I don't think any of these would be considered to be conservative newspapers, but they have taken a strong stand in the same direction and position that I have been speaking here. The bottom line is that this legislation will insert the Federal Government into workplace management decisions like never before. This intrusion will benefit trial lawyers and harm job growth and employment, which will affect both women and men. Supporters of this bill cite wage data that the Bureau of Labor Statistics itself says ``do not control for many factors that can be significant in explaining earning differences.'' In fact, studies show that if you factor in observable choices, such as part-time work, seniority, and occupational choice, the pay gap stands between 5 to 7 percent. Let me repeat: Part-time work, seniority, and occupational choice reduces the pay gap to between 5 and 7 percent. Some of these choices are certainly personal prerogatives, and I would not question the choices anyone makes with regard to family obligations or job security and the quality of fringe benefits, such as health, retirement, and child care. But to a large extent, this remaining gap is due to occupational choice.…”