Republicans launch Women's Policy Committee

Motto: Damaging women's rights since who knows when, but formally since 2012.

Republicans are under fire for their War on Women. You name the issue, Republicans are taking a stand which would harm the vast majority of women in the US.

To counter this perception (not the reality, but the perception), the GOP have cynically formed a Women's Policy Committee. Here's the purpose:

In a show of unity, Republican women in the U.S. House of Representatives today joined together to form the Women's Policy Committee, a formal Congressional caucus with the goal of raising the profile of GOP women in their roles as lawmakers, highlighting their diverse achievements and providing a unique, unified voice on a wide range of critically important issues.

Here's the video:

Don't you feel better, less worried about the Republican's agenda? Good to know that the WPC won't be actually doing anything, just raising their profiles. Not like that uppity Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota who keeps (tirelessly) trying to gain more power.

You can tell that the Women's Policy Committee is going to be great for women because it's got "women" right in the title! And isn't it so super awesome how there's going to be a caucus in Congress-for the first time ever-presenting a "unified voice" on issues that affect women? It's, like, historical! You know, if you don't count the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues, which has been around since 1977 and considers bipartisanship (that means you too, lady Republicans) "the key to the Caucus' strength and success."

(Daily Kos)

You'll notice that towards the end (1:45 into vid) Minnesota's own Rep. Michele Bachmann chimes in. Despite being a major national figure, self-appointed Queen of the Congressional Tea Party and a former Presidential candidate, Bachmann is not amongst the leadership of this group.

Rep. Mary Bono Mack (CA-45), who first came to Congress in 1998, was elected Chairman of the Women's Policy Committee.   Rep. Marsha Blackburn (TN-7) and Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (NY-25) were elected Vice Chairmen.   As part of its organizational meeting, a 7-person steering committee was also chosen.  It includes: Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-5), Rep. Sandy Adams (FL-24), Rep. Diane Black (TN-6), Rep. Kay Granger (TX-12), Rep. Nan Hayworth (NY-19), Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-3), and Rep. Kristi Noem (SD).

BTW ... "Chairman" and "Vice Chairman"? Seriously? Who wrote that? Some illiterate noob straight out of Liberty University?

Anyhoo ... Republican leadership doesn't want Bachmann anywhere near a leadership position in Congress, apparently. This isn't the first snub. Nor the last.
ThinkProgress reviewed the voting records of the 24 women. They have consistently opposed to women's rights:

Violence Against Women: Of the 24 women, 22 voted to rollback the Violence Against Women Act, backing a version of the bill that could violate the confidentiality of victims and that excluded protections for immigrants, LGBT people, and Native Americans.

Access to contraception: 21 of the 24 co-sponsored the "Respect for Rights of Conscience Act" to take away regulations enacted under Obamacare requiring most employers to cover birth control in their health insurance plans, without additional cost-sharing.

Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act: Of the 15 Republican Congresswomen who were in the House at the time, all 15 voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, a law that helps women hold accountable employers who discriminate in the pay practices based on gender.

Paycheck Fairness Act Act: 13 of those 15 also voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would update the 1963 Equal Pay Act by closing many of its loopholes and strengthening incentives to prevent pay discrimination.

Reproductive health: According to Planned Parenthood, 20 of the 24 GOP women earned a zero score, voting against reproductive health at every opportunity. The average score for the women was under 6 percent.