DeLauro and Murray Mark Equal Pay Day, Reintroduce Paycheck Fairness Act

WASHINGTON, DC (April 4, 2017) — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) today marked Equal Pay Day and reintroduced the Paycheck Fairness Act, legislation that would strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and guarantee that women can challenge pay discrimination and hold employers accountable.

Click here to watch today's press conference.

"Equal Pay Day falls 94 days into 2017, which is 94 days too late for millions of American women and their families. Every year, I hope we never have to recognize this day, and though we have made some progress in closing the wage gap, it still exists for far too many," said DeLauro. "Women and men in the same job should have the same pay, and the Paycheck Fairness Act is a strong step forward in ensuring that we close the wage gap once and for all. This legislation addresses the issue in a comprehensive and sensible manner, and it is long overdue. President Trump campaigned on the promise that he would fight for American workers, including women, and I strongly encourage him to support this bill and make equal pay a reality."

"I'm proud to sponsor the Paycheck Fairness Act with Congresswoman DeLauro to make sure every woman working to support her family or herself is being paid the same as her male coworkers for the same work," said Murray. "At a time when many families are struggling to make ends meet, we should be working together to make sure women are not being left behind. This shouldn't be a partisan issue, and I'm proud to join my colleagues to keep up the fight to ensure that all the hardworking women across this country are getting paid what they've earned."

"More than 70 days into the Trump Presidency, American families are still waiting for President Trump to fulfill his promises to working people," said Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. "The American people deserve better. Equal pay for equal work is a fundamental principle of fairness in our economy and in our democracy. Let us ensure that women and working families receive the fair pay and the bigger paychecks needed to create a stronger America for all."

Equal Pay Day symbolizes the date when women's wages finally catch up to what men were paid in the previous year. Despite making up half the workforce, more than five decades after the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, American women still make only 80 cents, on average, for every dollar earned by a man. The gap is even wider for women of color, with African American women making 63 cents on the dollar, and Hispanic women making only 54 cents, on average, compared with white men.

The Paycheck Fairness Act would strengthen and close loopholes in the Equal Pay Act of 1963 by holding employers accountable for discriminatory practices, ending the practice of pay secrecy, easing workers' ability to individually or jointly challenge pay discrimination, and strengthening the available remedies for wronged employees. The House legislation has 198 cosponsors (every Democratic Member of the House and one Republican Member) and the Senate legislation has 41 cosponsors.