Roy Barnes 2010

(October 19, 2010) MARIETTA--When it comes to the workplace, Congressman Deal knows all about how to make an office environment comfortable.  For instance, in his Congressional office, Deal voted at least six times to increase his salary to the tune of $21,000 and he used office time and resources for personal gain.  So it comes as a shock that Congressman Deal wouldn't want to afford women the same workplace standards and perks.

One of Deal's first acts in Congress was to vote against the Family Medical Leave Act which enables employees to take unpaid leave for major family events such as the birth or adoption of a child or the care of a seriously ill loved one.  Then in 2009, Congressman Deal voted against the landmark equal pay legislation, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which ensures that victims of pay discrimination can challenge unequal pay.  This was not the first time Deal voted against equal pay for men and women in the workplace - he voted against it at least three other times.

Click here to read more about Congressman Deal's votes against women in the workplace.

"Congressman Deal loves a cushy gig; in fact, if he hadn't been run out of Washington D.C. by the Congressional Ethics Committee, he probably would have stayed up there a little longer and voted to increase his salary a few more times," spokeswoman Anna Ruth Williams said.  "Unfortunately for Georgia's working women, Congressman Deal doesn't want them to have a cushy gig like his, much less equal protection and rights under the law.  Georgia's professional women have worked too hard and come too far to let someone like Congressman Deal be the CEO of this state."

Unlike his opponent, Roy Barnes has worked to provide a level playing field and create opportunities for women in Georgia.  As governor, he provided incentives for businesses who created on-site child care centers and he created the Mentor Protege Program to help minority and women-owned small businesses.  Under his leadership, Georgia moved from 48th to 19th in the ranking of states with women in leadership roles.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women comprise roughly half of the workforce, yet men take home 20 percent more than women do based on median weekly earnings.

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