Blackburn opposes equal pay laws because women just want to be 'recognized'

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Sunday said that Washington should stay out of the business of ensuring equal pay because "what women want" is just to be "recognized."

During a panel discussion on NBC about a recent Pew report that found women had become the primary source of income in 40 percent of U.S. households, Blackburn said that it was "up to companies to make sure there is a level playing field and that women are not shortchanged as they try to get on that ladder to success."

"How about pay equity laws to ensure that women are treated fairly in the workplace?" former White House senior adviser David Axelrod asked the Tennessee Republican.

"I think that more important than that is making certain that women are recognized by those companies," Blackburn replied. "You know, I’ve always said that I didn’t want to be given a job because I was a female, I wanted it because I was the most well-qualified person for the job."

"And making certain that companies are going to move forward in that vein — that is what women want," she added. "They don’t want the decisions made in Washington."

According to the White House, President Barack Obama and Democrats are pushing for a Paycheck Fairness Act because the average women makes only 77 cents for every dollar a man earns for doing the same job.

Watch the video below from NBC's Meet the Press, broadcast June 2, 2013.

(h/t: Think Progress)