Senate Republicans use filibuster to kill bill that would ensure women are paid as much as men

Barely hours after Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell blasted President Joe Biden and declared "the era of bipartisanship is over" his Senate GOP caucus filibustered a bill that would have helped close the gender pay gap and ensure women are paid as much as men.

The Paycheck Fairness Act failed to pass a cloture vote, by a 49-50 margin. It passed the House in April, with a 217-210 vote along party lines.

60 votes were needed to end a filibuster and move the legislation on to debate, but Republicans wouldn't even allow that.

The bill, as Axios notes, would "provide more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex."

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), who has been pummeled from the left for refusing to support killing the filibuster while insisting all legislation should be bipartisan and saying some of his "Republican friends" agree with him, issued a statement saying he was "disappointed."