At grassroots events in Wisconsin and Ohio today, Hillary Clinton spoke passionately about the importance of protecting women’s rights. As a lifelong advocate for women and girls, Hillary Clinton continues to defend a woman’s right to choose and supports equal pay for equal work—a stark, clear contrast from the GOP’s extreme heavy-hitters.
While Hillary Clinton leads on women’s issues, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Ohio Governor John Kasich—both loyal foot soldiers in the GOP’s war on women—have long pushed an out of touch agenda that promotes discrimination against women in the workplace and severely limits women’s health choices. Sadly, Walker and Kasich aren’t the only Republican hopefuls pushing an out of date agenda for women—the GOP presidential field is riddled with candidates who support extreme views on women.
Scott Walker
Equal Pay
Scott Walker repealed a Wisconsin law allowing victims of pay discrimination to seek damages in state courts. “On Thursday, with little fanfare, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker signed a bill repealing the state’s 2009 Equal Pay Enforcement Act, which allowed victims of workplace discrimination to seek damages in state courts. […] The Equal Pay law wasn’t just about women—it also offered protection from discrimination based on race, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, and other factors. But it was enacted largely in response to a large gap between men and women’s compensation, one that was worse than average in Wisconsin—in 2009 the state ranked 36th in the country in terms of workplace gender parity.” [Daily Beast, 4/7/12]
Scott Walker signed legislation that put limits on attorney’s fees victims could recover in equal pay lawsuits. “The law approved by Walker removes the ability for victims of wage discrimination to go to court for compensatory and punitive damages, although they still have the ability to seek back pay. Hynes noted that Walker previously signed legislation that puts a limit on the amount of attorney’s fees victims can recover in lawsuits, making it even less likely that wronged employees will take their cases to court.” [International Business Times, 4/9/12]
Family Planning
Scott Walker supported a 20-week abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest. “Gov. Scott Walker said Monday he will sign a proposed 20-week abortion ban whether or not it includes an exemption for cases of rape or incest. […] Walker, who had previously expressed support for the bill that’s on a fast track in the Wisconsin Legislature, said it didn’t matter whether there was an exemption. As introduced, there is none in the bill.” [Chicago Tribune, 6/1/15]
- Scott Walker on abortion ban exemptions for rape or incest: “I think for most people who are concerned about that, it’s in the initial months when they are most concerned about it.” “‘I think for most people who are concerned about that, it’s in the initial months when they are most concerned about it,’ Walker said when asked about the exemption. ‘In this case, it’s an unborn life, it’s an unborn child, that’s why we feel strongly about it. I’m prepared to sign it either way they send it to us.’” [Chicago Tribune, 6/1/15]
Scott Walker declared himself “100 percent pro-life” and pledged to seek a complete abortion ban. “For his part, Walker has said repeatedly he opposes abortion, even in cases of rape and incest. He declares himself ‘100 percent pro-life.’ And to Pro-Life Wisconsin, an organization that opposes abortion without exception, Walker pledged to seek a complete abortion ban. We asked Jill Bader, Walker’s campaign spokeswoman, about Barrett’s ad and she said it accurately states Walker’s position.” [Politifact, 10/26/10]
Scott Walker signed a budget that “eliminated over $1 million in state funding to Planned Parenthood clinics.” “A fifth Planned Parenthood health center closed in Wisconsin on Thursday due to state budget cuts that directed family planning money away from the provider. The Fond du Lac clinic did not provide abortion services. It offered birth control, sexually transmitted disease testing and treatment, pregnancy tests, annual exams and breast cancer screenings to over 1,000 patients a year. A spokesperson for the clinic blamed the closure directly on Gov. Scott Walker (R), whose 2011-2013 budget eliminated over $1 million in state funding to Planned Parenthood clinics.” [Huffington Post, 9/25/14]
Scott Walker bragged about having “defunded Planned Parenthood” in Wisconsin. “A few weeks before the November election, in an interview with The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the governor sidestepped questions about his earlier opposition to abortion, and declined four times to answer directly when asked if abortion should be prohibited after 20 weeks — a position he had previously embraced. He also declined to restate his earlier opposition to abortion in cases of rape and incest. But in a breakout speech in Iowa on Jan. 24, he drew loud applause from the crowd of conservative activists when he declared that he had passed ‘pro-life legislation’ in Wisconsin and ‘defunded Planned Parenthood.’” [New York Times, 2/22/15]
Scott Walker supported “personhood” legislation. “Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin spoke directly into the camera in a 30-second spot last fall and called abortion an ‘agonizing’ decision. He described himself as pro-life but, borrowing the language of the abortion rights movement, pointed to legislation he signed that leaves ‘the final decision to a woman and her doctor.’ That language was gone when Mr. Walker met privately with Iowa Republicans in a hotel conference room last month, according to a person who attended the meeting. There, he highlighted his early support for a ‘personhood amendment,’ which defines life as beginning at conception and would effectively prohibit all abortions and some methods of birth control.” [New York Times, 2/22/15]
Scott Walker: Forced mandatory ultrasounds were “just a cool thing out there.” “I’ll give you an example. I’m pro-life, I’ve passed pro-life legislation. We defunded Planned Parenthood, we signed a law that requires an ultrasound. Which, the thing about that, the media tried to make that sound like that was a crazy idea. Most people I talk to, whether they’re pro-life or not, I find people all the time who’ll get out their iPhone and show me a picture of their grandkids’ ultrasound and how excited they are, so that’s a lovely thing. I think about my sons are 19 and 20, you know we still have their first ultrasound picture. It’s just a cool thing out there.” [NPR, 5/27/15]
Scott Walker pushed a budget proposal that would have shuttered rural family planning clinics. “A Wausau-based clinic system that offers reproductive health services won’t have to close any of its rural locations after state lawmakers maintained a grant that funds those facilities. The state Joint Committee on Finance voted Wednesday to cut just 10 percent of the state grant, rather than the entire $1.9 million as proposed in Gov. Scott Walker’s budget. Lon Newman, executive director of Family Planning Health Services, said that his small, rural clinics that lose money annually and rely on the grant funding to survive will no longer face the risk of closing. ‘We’re going to have to tighten up like everybody else in this budget,’ he said. ‘But it means the grants are still going to be there to give that base funding.’ Immediately after Walker’s original budget was released earlier this year, Newman said clinics in Taylor, Juneau, Lincoln and Adams counties could be forced to close.” [Wausau Daily Herald, 5/20/11]
John Kasich
Equal Pay
Women working in Gov. John Kasich’s office were paid an average of $9.81 per hour less than men. “A newspaper investigation has found the average pay gap between men and women in the offices of four of Ohio’s five elected statewide officials has grown to as much as almost $10 an hour, as it’s shrunk to under a dollar across the rest of state government. Women working in Republican Gov. John Kasich’s office earn $9.81-an-hour less, on average, than men, the Dayton Daily News analysis published Sunday showed. That’s the highest gender pay gap among statewide officeholders, according to the newspaper’s study of Ohio Department of Administrative Services data. The gender gap compares to $3.99-an-hour under former Gov. Ted Strickland.” [Associated Press, 4/12/14]
Family Planning
John Kasich signed into law a bill banning abortion after 20 weeks with no exceptions for rape or incest. “Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) signed a bill on Wednesday that bans abortions after 20 weeks if the fetus is determined to be viable, making Ohio the latest in a series of states to ban late-term abortions. The Ohio bill contains no exceptions for rape or incest and only a very narrow exception for health of the mother, which means that an Ohio physician must be able to prove in court that he performed a late-term abortion to save the woman’s life. If a doctor violates this rule, he could be arrested and lose his medical license.” [Huffington Post, 7/21/11]
John Kasich signed into law a bill that enacted strict abortion restrictions, including mandatory ultrasounds. “Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) signed stringent abortion restrictions into law as part of his state’s budget Sunday night, just days after Democratic Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis thrilled abortion rights groups nationwide with her successful filibuster against proposed anti-abortion regulations in her home state. The provisions in Ohio will make it more difficult for family planning groups to receive funding for preventive care; require ultrasounds for anyone seeking an abortion; and limit abortion providers’ ability to get transfer agreements with public hospitals.” [Washington Post, 7/1/13]
John Kasich signed legislation essentially cutting off Planned Parenthood from $1.4 million in federal family-planning dollars. According to the Columbus Dispatch, “In all, Kasich vetoed 22 items, including some earmarks. However, Ohio State University’s STAR House, which helps homeless youth, kept its $665,000 per year in funding. Significant abortion provisions in the budget were not changed. The bill essentially cuts off Planned Parenthood from about $1.4 million in federal family-planning dollars by re-prioritizing who can receive the money. Under the bill, abortion clinics must have a transfer agreement with a hospital, but they are prohibited from signing one with a public hospital. The bill also requires a doctor to perform an external ultrasound prior to an abortion to search for a heartbeat, and if one is found, the doctor must inform the woman. The doctor also must tell the woman the likelihood of the fetus surviving to a full term, and the bill redefines a fetus as ‘developing from the moment of conception,’ rather than when a fertilized egg has been implanted in the uterus.” [Columbus Dispatch, 7/1/13]