Another GOP Swipe Against Women

Is there anyone out there who condones gang rape? It appears that 30 U.S. Republican Senators fit that description.

Thankfully, this view is in the minority. An anti-rape amendment passed earlier this month with the votes of 68 Senators including 10 compassionate and principled common-sense Republicans. Women, including Republican women, are pleased that our lawmakers took a stand against rape.

However, 28 Republican Senators followed Republican Senate Leadership- Minority Leader Mitch McConnell(KY) and GOP Whip John Kyl (AZ) in voting against a proposal that would give victims of sexual assault who are American contractors in Iraq the ability to sue their employer if the employer was negligent or reacted inappropriately.

Though I and most Republicans favor limiting governments role in the everyday lives of Americans, an indefensible crime by employees of government contractors demands government action. The 30 "no" votes cast by Republicans reinforce negative views of the GOP that have caused serious erosion in its support among women. Once again, out of touch Republican lawmakers are disappointing the common sense majority of Republicans - both men and women - who are tired of these extreme antics.

The now-famous anti-rape amendment arose from the case of an American employee who was gang-raped by fellow Halliburton/KBR workers in Iraq in 2005. The workers attacked her and then locked her in a shipping container for more than a day in an attempt to prevent her from reporting the incident. When the victim tried to sue KBR, she was prevented from doing so by a clause in her employment contract specifying that sexual assault charges could only be heard in private arbitration - not the courts.

The amendment in the Senate requires U.S. defense contractors to give their workers access to U.S. courts in cases of rape or sexual assault. The amendment withholds U.S. defense contracts from companies that forbid legal action against the contractor when a sexual assault occurs among co-workers.

In other words, it makes it clear that the United States will not put Americans' hard-earned tax dollars in the hands of corporations which do everything possible to cover up and downplay rape and sexual assault crimes.

It is astonishing that a single lawmaker would oppose such a measure; for 30 Republican U.S. Senators to do so is truly disturbing. It says that U.S. defense companies are more important than fair treatment toward women. These Senators bolster the heartless, Neanderthal and negative image the GOP has with women and younger voters in general.

The Republican senators who voted against this measure ignored common decency and basic human rights - and in doing so, they further exacerbate the idea that GOP is out of touch and complicate the Party's chances of a comeback in 2010.

The GOP must stop the degradation of women's rights within the Party, whether it be a refusal to support women's choices or a woman's right to a fair trial in a rape case. They are not only out of step with the American public that they are representing; but more significantly, they will continue to diminish the GOP by abandoning the core principles in favor of politically expedient opportunities.

Comments

[Woody Bliss]

Great article!!! I agree....

[mamalisa38]

It's also apparent that the health insurance companies are more important than the health and lives of the American people.

[BryanTheRegOps]

I'm amazed to see that they are still women that support the Republican party. Why? Women don't have to be Democrats they can become Independent.

[Oldwave]

"Though I and most Republicans favor limiting governments role in the everyday lives of Americans"

Really? Or does "Americans" = corporations?

[mancoff]

This matter has gotten too little publicity for the atrocity it is. You won't be seeing anything about it on Fox news, that's for sure. Some of the biggest names in the Republican Party voted against this anti-rape bill to include John McCain. These guys should be named publically and women should stand together and loudly protest, the blatant stand these Republicans took in trying to protect corporations against legal prosecution by women raped on the job.

[Smithn]

Candace,
I sincerely appreciate your sincere blog-post. however I must tell you however that even you must know by now the “Dirty 30” are beyond redemption. The pro-rape vote called to attention their congressional scorecards in which we find too many of these same senators fall in the very lowest ranks for: not only women's issues, but also veterans' needs and you guessed it the needs of children. It's heartbreaking.

After all, there should not be any reason on this God's green earth why Al Franken needed to write a bill to stop rape cover ups in the first place! How ever did America get to such a point that our lives are controlled by “The Dirty 30”? And, just think of this: we're supposed to be the big grown up country trying to stop rape in Darfur and other such countries. It's beyond appalling, it's beyond disgust, it is a collective shame!

[SewaneeLeftist]

As a feminist Dem. guy (to the degree guys can be feminist), I have a hard time figuring how women can stay in the GOP.

It kind of feels like the problems Hefner's daughter must have had being an editor at Playboy -- you're exceptionalist and rare in the business, but is it rewarding, and do you feel good when you go to work or when you come back from it?

[mediamarv]

"Though I and most Republicans favor limiting governments role in the everyday lives of Americans.."

Yes, we have a shining example of limiting govt: the Wall Street fiasco and the bank failures. Goverment regulators were prevented from doing their jobs, FDA food inspectors were handcuffed by Repub congress and there were more serious food recalls under Bush than I can ever recall, And of course, Repubs think that govt does belong in the bedroom and marriage chapels. So your little pious posturing has no credibilty with me.

[jmpurser]

I don't condone gang rape. I also don't condone gay bashing, discrimination, depriving people of their rights or robbing the poor to pay the rich. Why does only one of those offend you about republicans?

[ImmanuelGoldstein]

Hey that's today's republican party. If you 'common sense' republicans don't like these types WHY DO YOU VOTE THEM IN?