Todd Akin told supporters at a town hall that he believes employers should have the right to pay women less and the government should not enforce equal pay for equal work rules. Akin, whose infamous “legitimate” rape comments forced his campaign against Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill into the national spotlight for a month, made the remarks in response to a question from the audience.
“You voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Why do you think it is okay for a woman to be paid less for doing the same work as a man?,” Akin was asked.
“Well, first of all, the premise of your question is that I’m making that particular distinction,” Akin responded. “I believe in free enterprise. I don’t think the government should be telling people what you pay and what you don’t pay. I think it’s about freedom. If someone wants to hire somebody and they agree on a salary, that’s fine, however it wants to work. So, the government sticking its nose into all kinds of things has gotten us into huge trouble.”
Akin made his comments about pay for women last week, when he also attacked his opponent, Claire McCaskill, for not behaving “ladylike” at their debate.
“First, Todd Akin said Claire’s not ‘ladylike’ because she’s standing up for working families, now he’s opposed to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay act because he believes employers should have the freedom to discriminate against their female employees,” a McCaskill spokesperson said via a statement, according to Talking Points Memo. “Once again, it’s clear that the problem isn’t what Todd Akin says, the problem is what Todd Akin believes.”
Akin, who complained that “the government sticking its nose into all kinds of things has gotten us into huge trouble,” has, according to On The Issues:
- Voted YES on banning federal health coverage that includes abortion. (May 2011)
- Voted NO on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines. (Jan 2007)
- Voted NO on allowing human embryonic stem cell research. (May 2005)
- Voted YES on restricting interstate transport of minors to get abortions. (Apr 2005)
- Voted YES on making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime. (Feb 2004)
- Voted YES on banning partial-birth abortion except to save mother’s life. (Oct 2003)
- Voted YES on forbidding human cloning for reproduction & medical research. (Feb 2003)
- Voted YES on funding for health providers who don’t provide abortion info. (Sep 2002)
- Voted YES on banning Family Planning funding in US aid abroad. (May 2001)
- Voted YES on federal crime to harm fetus while committing other crimes. (Apr 2001)
- Voted NO on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation. (Nov 2007)
- Voted YES on Constitutionally defining marriage as one-man-one-woman. (Jul 2006)
- Voted YES on making the PATRIOT Act permanent. (Dec 2005)
- Voted YES on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage. (Sep 2004)
- Voted YES on protecting the Pledge of Allegiance. (Sep 2004)
- Voted YES on constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration. (Jun 2003)
Related:
Todd Akin To Voters: If You Want My Attention ‘Write Me A Decent Check’
Tony Perkins: My Friend, Patriot Todd Akin Will Speak At Values Voters Summit
Paul Ryan Calls Rape A ‘Method of Conception’ As Romney Expands Abortion Position
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