This Democrat Fails to Pay Women the Same As Men Based on White House Formula

Arizona Democrat Congressman Ron Barber recently said in a forceful Arizona Daily Star op-ed that any pay gap based on gender in “inexcusable.” Well, that makes Barber’s own actions “inexcusable” because Barber isn’t paying women overall the same as men in his own office.

If you apply the same standard Barber is using to determine pay inequality to his own congressional office, Barber is paying full-time women only 84 cents on the dollar compared to men. The median salary for a full-time female staffer in Barber’s office last year was $45,744.41, compared to $54,694.41 for a man.

Barber could not have been more vocal in his Daily Star op-ed and subsequent emails to supporters, stating: “Nationally, women today earn 77 cents for every $1 earned by a man — for no reason other than their gender. In Arizona we are doing slightly better; a woman earns 82 cents for every $1 paid to a man. But any gap based on gender is inexcusable.”

You may remember, the White House – which actually pays women more than Barber does based on this formula – got hit in the press for this same hypocrisy.

If Barber truly believes this is the way to measure pay inequality, then maybe he should take a look in the mirror and start with his own office.