Ozier Muhammad/The New York TimesMitt Romney speaking to supporters on Wednesday at a campaign event at Alpha Grahpics in Hartford, Conn.Mitt Romney’s campaign scrambled Wednesday afternoon to clarify his support for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act after top aides were caught flat-footed by the question.
In a statement, Amanda Hennenberg, a campaign spokeswoman, said Mr. Romney “supports pay equity and is not looking to change current law.”
That came after top policy aides to the former Massachusetts governor seemed uncertain how to respond when a reporter asked about Mr. Romney’s position on it during a campaign conference call.
“We’ll get back to you on that,” the adviser told reporters.
The stumble comes as Mr. Romney’s campaign is searching for ways to address the large lead that President Obama holds among female voters. That lead developed during the last several months, as Mr. Romney expressed positions that have angered many women.
The fumble on the Lilly Ledbetter law is not likely to help his case.
The law, which makes it easier for women to sue in equal pay cases, was the first bill that Mr. Obama signed into law, just nine days after taking office. It is despised by conservatives who claim it is leading to a flurry of unnecessary and frivolous lawsuits.
But the law is hailed by many women’s organizations as a step forward toward rectifying discriminatory salary situations. Democrats immediately jumped on the campaign’s hesitance to support the law, quickly distributing audio of the conference call.
“If he is truly concerned about women in this economy, he wouldn’t have to take time to ‘think’ about whether he supports the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act,” Ms. Ledbetter said in a statement distributed by Mr. Obama’s campaign. “This act not only ensures women have the tools to get equal pay for equal work, but it means their families will be better served also.”
Mr. Romney’s campaign reacted quickly, putting out statements from women attacking the impact of Mr. Obama’s policies on women.
“Barack Obama talks a good game on women in the economy, but the facts don’t back him up,” Representative Mary Bono Mack, Republican of California, said in a statement. “Women in the Obama economy are facing hardships of historical proportions.”
The Democratic National Convention quickly noted that Ms. Bono Mack voted against the Ledbetter Act when it passed in Congress in 2009.
