WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans derailed a bill Wednesday curbing paycheck discrimination against women, an effort that Democrats, even in defeat, hoped would pay dividends in this fall’s midterm elections.
The vote Wednesday was 53-44 to halt GOP tactics aimed at derailing the legislation, but that fell seven short of the 60 votes Democrats needed to prevail.
The outcome on the Senate floor was not a surprise, but Democrats were playing to a wider audience. Democrats aimed the measure at women, who historically lean more toward their party than men do. They were also casting the issue as a crucial one for the middle class.
“I want everyone to know, everyone in the Senate and everyone in the United States of America, though we lost the vote, we refuse to lose the battle. We are going to continue the fight,” said Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., the bill sponsor.
