Roy Blunt: Republicans’ war for women

The 2014 midterm elections were defined by a lot of issues — including the Democrats’ continued barrage of misleading attacks against Republicans’ policies and their impact on women. In Colorado, Iowa, North Carolina, North Dakota and elsewhere, Democrats spent millions of dollars attempting to mislead voters about Republicans’ policies — attacks that were ultimately unsuccessful when voters cast their ballots.

My name was included in some of these attacks, as some on the left tried to mislead voters about the amendment I introduced in 2012 to protect Americans’ religious freedoms. These religious freedoms, which Americans have enjoyed for more than 220 years, were ultimately upheld this year by the Supreme Court, when it reaffirmed that no one in this country should be forced to choose between giving up their business for their faith and giving up their faith for their business.

{mosads}So after spending millions of dollars to distort these issues, why didn’t the “war on women” resonate at the ballot box? Simply put, political operatives in Washington underestimated how discerning and diverse women are as citizens and voters. As I hear from women every day across Missouri, they do care about healthcare issues — including the impact of the president’s healthcare law. But they’re almost never one-issue voters. 

Women care about the economy. They own small businesses. They’re budgeting to put gas in the car and pay for their household energy bills. They want better roads and infrastructure in their towns. They’re struggling to pay off student loans. They’re fighting to ensure their children and grandchildren succeed. They’re worried about national security. And they’re constantly trying to strike a balance between competing work and family responsibilities.

Unfortunately, the president’s own policies are hurting women nationwide. Under this administration, the poverty rate for women has increased from 14.4 percent to 15.8 percent, and the median income for women has dropped by $513. In addition, older women are bearing the brunt of higher insurance costs under ObamaCare, and experts estimate that a majority of those at risk for lost wages under the law’s assault on the 40-hour workweek are women.

As Republicans prepare to lead the House and Senate next year, we must be committed to fighting to create more opportunity for all Americans to succeed. My colleagues in the House took the first step this summer when they introduced a plan to empower working women and families — a collection of common-sense bills focused on workplace flexibility, job training and tax credits.

In the Senate, I support Sen. Mike Lee’s (R-Utah) bill, the Working Families Flexibility Act, to help parents balance the demands on working families by allowing private-sector employers to give workers a choice between monetary compensation and comp time when they work extra hours. As a former university president, I also support Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-Fla.) Higher Education and Skills Obtainment Act, which would consolidate our nation’s higher education tax incentives and increase economic opportunities by encouraging Americans to pursue advanced degrees. And I believe we should consider Sen.-elect Shelley Moore Capito’s (R-W.Va.) bill, the Families First Act, to help families caring for children and ill loved ones by indexing the dependent care tax credit to inflation.

These initiatives are just small steps in the right direction for a Senate that has not debated the nation’s top priorities for far too long. In 2015, the new Republican-led Congress is waging a war for women. We’re waging a war for families, workers, seniors and young people who have been burdened by the current administration’s policies. And we’re calling on the president and Democrats in Congress to join us in passing a pro-growth, pro-opportunity agenda that benefits all Americans who are striving to succeed.

Blunt is Missouri’s junior senator, serving since 2011. He sits on the Appropriations; Commerce, Science and Transportation; Armed Services; and Rules and Administration committees.