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obituary
'A True Hero': Pay Equity Crusader Lilly Ledbetter Dies at 86
"Let's honor her by continuing to challenge discrimination in all forms—and finally closing the wage gap."
Oct 14, 2024
Labor unions and women's advocacy groups on Monday paid tribute to Lilly Ledbetter, the former Goodyear employee whose fight for equal pay made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and Congress, after her death at the age of 86—with economic justice advocates hailing Ledbetter as "an icon."
"Lilly Ledbetter simply wanted to be paid the same as her male Goodyear co-workers," said the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) on social media. But to workers who have benefited from the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, added the union, "she was a true hero."
Ledbetter began working at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in Gadsden, Alabama in 1979, and was initially paid equally to her male counterparts.
But in 1998 she discovered that her compensation had dropped "way out of line" with that of the men who worked alongside her, after someone sent her an anonymous note.
"I felt humiliated. I felt degraded. I had to sort of get my composure back to go ahead to perform my job and then, the first day off, I went to Birmingham, Alabama and filed a charge with the [Equal Employment Opportunity Commission]," Ledbetter toldNPR in 2009.
In 1999, she filed a lawsuit against her employer, and four years later a federal court in Alabama awarded her $3.8 million—a sum that was reduced to a $300,000 cap and $60,000 in back pay.
The case was later appealed and proceeded to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of Goodyear in 2007, with five of the nine justices agreeing that Ledbetter had filed her lawsuit too late after Goodyear's initial decision to pay her less than her male colleagues.
But in 2009, Ledbetter stood with then-President Barack Obama as he signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which gives people more time to file charges regarding unfair pay and affirms that each inequitable paycheck is a violation of the law, an assertion the Supreme Court had rejected.
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) called on Americans to "honor her legacy by never ceasing in our pursuit of equality and justice for all."
Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women's Law Center, noted that after Ledbetter's legal case concluded, "she never gave up the fight to push for equal pay and fairness for everyone who came after her."
"It would have been easy for Lilly to quietly ease into retirement in Alabama after the Supreme Court held that there was no remedy to the decades of pay discrimination that she faced," said Goss Graves. "But Lilly was not built for the easy road. She shared her story because she knew that her experience of being undervalued and shortchanged on the job was the same story that working women of all ages across America shared, whether they had ever heard of the wage gap or not."
"Even into her 80s, Lilly never hesitated to hop on planes to speak to women across the country about why they must actively fight for wage equality," Goss Graves added.
Ledbetter also stood with Obama in the White House in 2014 when he signed two fair pay executive orders, one barring federal contractors from retaliating against workers who discuss their salaries and one instructing the Labor Department to collect data on pay for men and women who work for federal contractors.
Noreen Farrell, executive director of Equal Rights Advocates (ERA), said Ledbetter "leaves behind a legacy that fuels our ongoing fight against pay discrimination, exploitation, and those who would delay progress towards wage justice for all."
Farrell added that with women—particularly women of color—still earning an average of 82 cents for every dollar men earn in the U.S., "the fight for pay equity is far from over."
"We urge the passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act and the implementation of comprehensive pay transparency measures at the federal level," said Farrell.
The Paycheck Fairness Act would add protections to the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to eliminate gender-based wage disparities.
"Lilly Ledbetter's courageous fight for fair pay made history and opened a new future for millions of women," said Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.). "Let's honor her by continuing to challenge discrimination in all forms—and finally closing the wage gap."
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The Best Bill Pascrell Takedowns of 'Lowlife' Trump and His 'Soulless Goons'
The feisty Democratic congressman from New Jersey died August 21.
Aug 21, 2024
U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, a longtime congressman from New Jersey and unflinching critic of former President Donald Trump, died at 87 years old on Wednesday, his family announced.
Pascrell (D-N.J.), a former public school teacher, state assemblyman, and mayor of Paterson, was first elected to Congress in 1996 and served 14 terms.
His death led to an outpouring of tributes from dignitaries in New Jersey and across the country. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, called him "a constant fighter for what is right and just."
Pascrell, not one to hold back for fear of impropriety, was known for memorable one-liners. After he arrived in Washington, he put a bumper sticker on his door that said "NAFTA is Shafta," expressing his opposition to free trade agreements.
"The joy of Bill Pascrell is you never walked away from Bill Pascrell saying he was undecided," Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.), his colleague on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, said in 2020.
As he advanced in age, Pascrell became something of an ally to younger colleagues, endorsing a Green New Deal, for example. In 2019, he tweeted a satirical article from The Onion titled "82-Year-Old New Jersey Congressman Bill Pascrell Quietly Asks Ilhan Omar If He Can Be Part Of The Squad."
"Well. How 'bout it," he jokingly asked the the small, left-wing band of lawmakers, getting an immediate "You're in, Bill Pascrell!" in response from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
Mostly, Pascrell was known in his later years for his no-holds-barred criticism of Trump—whose tax returns he pursued vigorously, in his role on the Ways and Means Committee—and other Republicans, and the comedy he produced at their expense.
Pascrell took seeming delight in Trump's recent felony conviction in the New York hush money trial.
Good morning. Republican donald trump is a convicted criminal. pic.twitter.com/YxrRcIJSDG
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@BillPascrell) July 13, 2024
A few days earlier, Pascrell took aim at U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who's been mired in controversy for unreported gifts he accepted from Republican megadonors in the past. Pascrell posted an artistic rendering, based on a real scene from five years ago, of Thomas smoking a cigar while he sits beside megadonor Harlan Crow, his main benefactor, and right-wing legal influencer Leonard Leo, among others.
Corrupt republican supreme court judges are taking bribes from billionaires while attacking your rights and crushing democracy pic.twitter.com/UaQgkfLPIO
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@BillPascrell) July 9, 2024
Pascrell communicated with a directness that many Democratic officeholders are reluctant to employ, drawing praise—and smiles—from left-leaning followers of his social media account.
The republican party’s record is a disgrace and all Americans should see it for themselves. Please share. pic.twitter.com/FpTgtfo4Dd
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@BillPascrell) July 23, 2023
In 2018, when Trump remarked that immigrants were coming to the U.S. from "shithole" countries, Pascrell invoked a racist character from the 1970s sitcom All in the Family.
Once again, @POTUS has made a fool of himself & our nation on a worldwide stage. He’s showing his bigoted tendencies in ways that would make Archie Bunker blush. White House statement makes it even more obvious that this president needs some help - what a national disgrace! https://t.co/j0N4K4c495
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@BillPascrell) January 11, 2018
Pascrell, who was an advocate for veterans who'd suffered brain injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan, objected to Trump's disrespect for those who'd given their lives for the country.
Trump wouldn’t visit a cemetery for US soldiers who gave their lives in battle because he said it was “filled with losers.”
What more can be said about this lowlife? He is beneath contempt. Republicans keep him in office bc they value their power more than America’s honor. https://t.co/koxOz6kkHm
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@BillPascrell) September 3, 2020
During the pandemic, Pascrell warned that Trump's approach to dealing with Covid-19 could be deadly for Americans.
🚨 Trump and his soulless goons are trying to reduce covid testing to lower the number of reported positive cases.
Responsible for countless dead Americans, trump is willing to kill even more to make himself look better.
The republican party is a direct threat to your life. https://t.co/2ujI9odmrd
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@BillPascrell) August 26, 2020
Trump's attorney general, William "Bill" Barr, was a frequent target of Pascrell's wrath: The congressman called him the "worst most corrupt despicable attorney general in U.S. history." So when Barr made claims about the Kenosha, Wisconsin, riots of 2020, Pascrell proved skeptical.
Bill barr is a lying disgrace whose word isn’t worth a nickel. Barr should be impeached and then stripped of his personal law licenses for life. #ImpeachBarr #DisbarBarr https://t.co/TG9FqL03q1
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@BillPascrell) September 1, 2020
In a 2020 debate, when Trump interrupted President Joe Biden while the then-Democratic nominee spoke about the military service of his son Beau Biden, who'd died of cancer five years earlier, Pascrell was unimpressed.
Trump smearing Beau Biden. There is no low for this lowlife piece of impeached garbage. #Debate2020
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@PascrellforNJ) September 30, 2020
Pascrell was an indefatigable critic of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, whom he said had tried to sabotage—that is, slow down—the work of the U.S. Postal Service as a way of helping Trump's elections chances in 2020. (Most mail-in votes were for Democrats.) Pascrell blamed not just DeJoy but also the service's Board of Governors who had appointed the Republican businessman as their head.
Good question. On Jan 25 I was the first member of Congress calling for @POTUS to fire the entire USPS Board of Governors. They’re complicit in dejoy’s destruction. Americans are fed up. Time to clean house at USPS. https://t.co/wTGmjL9Ws4 pic.twitter.com/YZjJPU7oDs
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@BillPascrell) February 7, 2021
Pascrell kept beating the drum against DeJoy, unsuccessfully, until he died. (DeJoy is still the postmaster general.) The congressman also regularly used social media as a platform to argue that Republicans posed a threat to democracy.
Tapping the sign as republicans today again try to destroy your voting rights pic.twitter.com/a4gIgZ9ZgJ
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@BillPascrell) July 10, 2024
Pascrell, who was the second-oldest member of the House, will likely be replaced by another Democrat, as his district leans solidly blue.
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Joe Lieberman, Iraq War Cheerleader and Killer of Public Option, Dead at 82
"Joe Lieberman's legacy will live on as your medical debt."
Mar 27, 2024
While current and former officials across the U.S. political spectrum shared praise for and fond memories of former Sen. Joe Lieberman in response to news of his death on Wednesday, critics highlighted how some of his key positions led to the deaths of many others.
Lieberman's family said the 82-year-old died at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital after a fall at his home in the Bronx. He served in the Connecticut Senate, as the state's attorney general, and in the U.S. Senate—initially as a Democrat and eventually as an Independent. He was also Democratic former Vice President Al Gore's running mate in the 2000 presidential election.
"Up until the very end, Joe Lieberman enjoyed the high-quality, government-financed healthcare that he worked diligently to deny the rest of us. That's his legacy," said Melanie D'Arrigo, executive director of the Campaign for New York Health, which advocates for universal, single-payer healthcare.
As Warren Gunnels, majority staff director for Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.),
explained, "Joe Lieberman led the effort to ensure the Affordable Care Act did not include a public option or a reduction in the Medicare eligibility age to 55."
Noting that Lieberman also lied about the presence of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in Iraq—which was used to justify the 2003 U.S. invasion—Gunnels asked, "How many people unnecessarily died as a result?"
He was far from alone in highlighting the two defining positions.
The Lever's David Sirota declared, "RIP Joe Lieberman, Iraq War cheerleader who led the fight to make sure Medicare was not extended to millions of Americans who desperately needed the kind of healthcare coverage he enjoyed in the Senate."
The Debt Collective said on social media that "Joe Lieberman killed so many people when he killed the public option. Not to mention all the people he killed by cheerleading every war and every lie that led to war. A truly horrible person with a shameful legacy."
Journalist Jon Schwarz pointed out that Lieberman continued to lie about the WMDs long after the claims were debunked.
FormerMSNBC host Mehdi Hasan noted that Lieberman declined an opportunity to apologize for the disastrous war, sharing a clip from his on-camera interview with the ex-senator in 2021.
And please don\u2019t give me this \u2018don\u2019t speak ill of the dead\u2019 stuff - 1) I\u2019m not speaking ill, I\u2019m stating facts, and 2) public figures are public figures, and their obits reflect their legacies and so we should be honest in our accounts of their legacies. Not offensive but honest— (@)
"We lost a giant today. I often disagreed with Joe Lieberman but he was always honorable in the way he called for American troops to murder people abroad so he could get his jollies," said Matt Stoller of the American Economic Liberties Project in a series of sarcastic social media posts.
"Joe Lieberman balanced his love of other people fighting in immoral wars with a commitment to preventing Americans from getting healthcare," Stoller added. "Even after his Senate career, he showed his strong democratic values by lobbying for Chinese telecom firms. We will miss this man."
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