President Obama directly confronted Mitt Romney with his refusal to say one way or the other if he would sign legislation aimed at making it easier for women to sue their employers over pay discrimination at the second presidential debate Tuesday night on Long Island.
A young woman asked about pay equity for women at the town hall debate. Romney touted his record hiring women in his gubernatorial cabinet in Massachusetts, and again promised to help women by creating more jobs through his economic plans.
Obama, who signed the Lilly Ledbetter Act as one of his first acts as president, spoke of his focus on pay equity.
It was something of a dream question for Democrats, who were hoping for a greater focus on women’s issues at Hofstra versus the first debate in Denver. Months ago, Romney was dogged by his campaign’s refusal to say if he would have signed the Ledbetter law, which Republicans opposed. His campaign eventually said Romney wouldn’t support removing the law now that it’s in place.
At the debate, Obama said that’s not good enough.
“When Governor Romney’s campaign was asked about the Lilly Ledbetter bill, whether he supported it, he said I’ll get back to you,” Obama said. “That’s not the kind of advocacy that women need in any economy.”
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