Senate Judiciary: still no equal paychecks for women

Both witnesses and members of the Senate Judiciary agree that women not being paid equally as men is a family issue which will affect entire families. Chairman Patrick J. Leahy(D-Vt.) said in a statement that for example women with Hispanic origins and particularly Black women are being received less payment than men, but are still doing the exact same work.

Witness Lilly Ledbetter, retired manager at the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. plant in Gadsden, Alabama said she found an anonymous note in her mailbox saying that her male coworkers were paid between 15 to 40 percent more than she was. "I definitely faced obstacles and harassment that my male peers did not have to endure," Ledbetter said.
Ledbetter thought equal rights issues such as equal pay was a Southern problem, but after she went forward with her case, she came in contact with women experience the same difficulties as she had living all across America.

Senator Dianne Feinstein(D-Calif.), highlighted the fact that equal rights issues is not only the lack of equal paychecks. Women are also losing their jobs faster than men or receiving fewer retirement benefits than men. "Women had to literally fight for everything thing they have received," Sen. Feinstein said. According to Feinstein the rules of a work place must change in order for equal rights to manifest saying "this is going to be decided by the CEO's of the companies."

Senate Judiciary Committee demands more insight on anthrax attacks

"It should be a concern of all American people that are on our soil, biological weapons was used to attack us," Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) said at the Senate Judiciary Committee on the oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The committee discussed the handling of past anthrax attacks and further biological weapon threats on America.

Leahy addressed the 2001 anthrax attacks, asking Director of the FBI, Robert Mueller if there are other facilities that develop anthrax weapons in America. According to Mueller there are laboratories existing on both American grounds and overseas. Leahy pushed for answers on the anthrax incident where Leahy himself addressed one of the contaminated letters. "My office and myself was put at risk [...] but I realize we did not suffer like the families of those who had people die," Leahy said.

Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-Penn.) supported the chairman, keeping the rough tone at Director Mueller saying that he's skeptic against the new regulations causing limited insight to the investigations and demanding further answers on the investigation. Mueller assured the committee that the FBI is focusing on the threats from terrorists in form of biological weapons that have been experienced on Congress, saying that they have handed over suspect Bruce E. Ivins work to National Academy of Science for further review.