Comments from GOP figures in Texas are reviving the debate there over fair pay. Cari Christman, executive director of a Texas political action committee (PAC) called Red State Women was recently asked on local TV station WFAA about legislation to address the pay gap between men and women.
Christman said she wanted to see fair and equal pay for women, but “Women are extremely busy. We lead busy lives, whether working professionally, whether we’re working from home, and times are extremely busy. It’s a busy cycle for women, and we’ve got a lot to juggle. And so when we look at this issue we think, what’s practical? And we want more access to jobs. We want to be able to get a higher education degree at the same time that we’re working or raising a family. That’s common sense, and we believe that that real-world solution is a more practical way to approach the problem.”
The comments were widely criticized.
Then Beth Cubriel, executive director of the Texas Republican Party weighed in further on the issue. “Men are better negotiators, and I would encourage women, instead of pursuing the courts for action, to become better negotiators,” she said on Austin’s Time Warner cable station.
Washington Post political reporter Nia-Malika Henderson discusses the comments and equal pay issue with Here & Now’s Robin Young.
Guest
- Nia-Malika Henderson, national political reporter for The Washington Post and senior writer for “She the People,” the Post’s blog about women and politics. She tweets @NiaWaPo.
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