Kevin has already noted that gender-based pay discrimination will get much, much harder now that the Senate has passed the long-awaited Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. I just wanted to mention something, overly earnest as it may be: to all of you out there who donated or worked on Senate campaigns — folks who were committed enough to progressive candidates and progressive ideals to get past the excitement of the presidential race and look for ways to help down-ticket — this is your reward. This bill had failed on Capitol Hill in 2008 and its central principles had been rejected in a widely criticized Supreme Court ruling. But yesterday’s passage puts that shameful history behind us. By insisting that employers treat their hard-working female employees on par with their male counterparts, this bill — made possible only through larger congressional majorities, hard-won by activist folks like you — is a key step in building a more just and more equal America.
