U.S. Senators have voted three separate times on creating paycheck fairness for women. And each time, conservatives have refused to debate the issue, driving home the point that they oppose measures that would directly benefit female workers.

But conservatives can’t quite articulate why they oppose equal pay and other measures that would increase women’s economic security. So to get a better idea of why conservatives are against paycheck fairness, let’s countdown…

“The Top Three Worst Reasons for Opposing Pay Equality”

#3 – Minnesota State Senator Julie Ortman

In her op-ed piece in the Chaska Herald, Ortman actually claimed that there is no gender pay gap and that women don’t get paid 77 percent of what men make for the same work. Said Ortman:

“We keep hearing the claim that women only earn 77 percent of the wages paid to men. This number is misleading.”

Her ridiculous claim has no base. It’s a fact that there is a real wage gap between men and women that has not significantly lessened in years. It’s not the 77 percent figure that’s misleading, rather Ortman’s skewed framing of wage gap facts.

#2 – Senator Kelly Ayotte from New Hampshire

Referencing existing equality protections like the Lilly Ledbetter Act and Title 7, Ayotte claimed in a recent public forum that there isn’t a need for further pay equality legislation. Said Ayotte:

“There are already existing laws that need to be enforced”

But these laws have been enforced for years. And for years, the pay gap has stayed around the 77 percent mark. When asked why she specifically voted against the Equal Pay Act that would proportionally help women, she replied:

“I didn’t feel like adding to that layer was going to help us better get at the equal pay issue.”

The Equal Pay Act is more than another layer of legislation, it’s a step in the right direction towards pay equality. Ayotte’s round-about reasoning is insufficient and further evidence for why there is a need for progressive leadership to finally lessen the wage gap.

#1 – GOP Mike McFadden

What can be said? In a recent press conference, McFadden simply didn’t have reasonable answers to legitimate questions regarding equal pay. When asked where he stood on the Paycheck Fairness Act, he dodged the question, saying:

“Let’s approve the Keystone Pipeline”

When asked again whether he would have voted yes or no on the measure, he replied:

“I think it’s the wrong question”

Well played sir, well played. For my next mid-term I’ll just leave my test sheet blank and tell my teacher that they were asking the wrong questions.

McFadden obviously has little to no reason for opposing equal pay measures. And it doesn’t really matter. If he keeps dodging topics like this he’s not likely to win any upcoming elections.

So there you are, the worst reasons for opposing pay equality thanks to three conservatives and their unconvincing viewpoints.