The GOP's Two-Pronged Assault on Women

[eridani]

http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/04/27/gops-two-pronged-assault-women

A Census report last year showed that the poverty risk for women spikes once they enter the workforce. For women with kids, the poverty rate is almost double that of men in the 25-34 age range — prime working years.

Some experts say the growing gap may be partly due to continuing high unemployment rates among single mothers. Could be — but I’m betting a bigger factor is the poverty-level minimum wage, which disproportionally affects women of color.

Every presidential candidate has weighed in on the minimum wage. While Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders argue over how much is enough — $12 for her, $15 for him — Cruz says $0 is the right number. He’d do away with the federal minimum altogether, having deemed it a “bad policy.”

In typical Trump fashion, the GOP front-runner has said America needs “good paying jobs,” while declaring a preference for leaving the minimum at $7.25. Not to be outdone on the contradiction front, Kasich says it’s “very important that we don’t raise the minimum wage willy‑nilly,” but then adds that Uncle Sam ought to let the 50 states set 50 different minimums if that’s what they want.

All this adds up to a multi-pronged attack on low-wage working women, who are the least able to fight back. They’re trapped by the ironclad partisanship on Capitol Hill, where Republicans have promised not to raise wages as long as they control Congress. And pushing back on those abortion restrictions states have been rolling out? Forget it.