DeLauro, Edwards, Matsui Mark Equal Pay Day

Call for Passage of Paycheck Fairness Act toClose Gender-Based Wage Gap

WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswomen Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), DonnaEdwards (D-MD) and Doris Matsui (D-CA) released the following statements todaymarking Equal Pay Day. Today marks the day that women finally make the sameamount that their male counterparts made the previous year. Read more about thePaycheck Fairness Acthere.

"Equal Pay Day provides a reminder of the persistentinequities that women face in the workforce," DeLauro said. "The factwomen make only 77 cents for every dollar earned by their male colleaguesthreatens women and families' financial stability. With women bringing home anincreasingly bigger share of family income, smaller paychecks hurt theirspouses and children, as well as the entire economy. That is why Congress needsto pass The Paycheck Fairness Act. Equal pay for equal work should notbe a partisan issue; it is time for the Paycheck Fairness Act to become law."

"President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law50 years ago, yet women still earn 77 cents to the dollar compared to theirmale colleagues," Edwards said. "Equal pay is not just a women's issue,it is a family and economic issue. The wage gap hurts everyone –husbands, wives, children, and parents – because it lowers family incomes thatpay for daily essentials such as groceries, doctors' visits, and childcare. An entire family benefits when women earn equal pay, and that iswhy closing the wage gap must be an integral part of strengthening America'sworking families and our economy."

"Each year, Equal Pay Day serves not only as a reminder ofhow far we have come, but of how much work is left to be done in the strugglefor equal pay between men and women," said Matsui. "In 1963,President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law, signaling our nation'scommitment to equal pay for women in every workplace. Now, fifty yearslater, I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act asmy Democratic colleagues and I continue to fight against gender-based paydiscrimination. When women are paid equal pay for equal work our economyas a whole benefits. It is imperative that we continue this fight andeliminate the wage gap once and for all."

"This June, fifty years will have passed since PresidentKennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law, and the gap in wages has barelybudged—shrinking only 18 cents in five decades and remaining stagnant for thelast decade," said National Women's Law Center (NWLC) Co-President Marcia D.Greenberger. "And for women of color, the situation is evenworse. At a time when families are relying increasingly on women's wages,it's especially critical to close this gap. Equal pay is not an abstractprinciple for women and their families. It means thousands of dollars oflost wages every year that cut deeply into household budgets and force manyfamilies to go without basic necessities."

"The wage gap has barely budged in the 10-plus yearsCongress has been considering the Paycheck Fairness Act," said Lisa Maatz,director of public policy and government relations for the American Associationof University Women (AAUW). "Clearly this problem is not going away on itsown. Neither market forces nor current laws are strong enough to ensure workersare paid the same wage for the same job, regardless of gender. This inequalityaffects women's wages today and their retirements tomorrow. Given women'spolitical clout, policymakers oppose this bill at their own risk."

"Equal Pay Day is a stark reminder that the gender-basedwage gap continues to hurt women and families in every corner of the country,regardless of education level or occupation," said Debra L. Ness, presidentof the National Partnership for Women & Families. "With most womenserving as essential breadwinners for their families, the loss of criticalincome that could go toward basic necessities like food, housing and gas hasdevastating consequences. This year, it will be 50 years since the Equal PayAct became law. It is past time to make gender-based pay discrimination a thingof the past. Congress must prioritize passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act."