DeLauro Leads Members of Congress in Supporting the U.S. Women Soccer Players Filing an EEOC Complaint

WASHINGTON, DC (April 12, 2016) — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today led a bipartisan group of 110 Members of the House of Representatives in writing to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to support the members of the U.S. Women's National Team filing a federal complaint. Recently, five soccer players accused the U.S. Soccer Federation of wage discrimination, citing the fact that they earn as little as 40 percent of what players on the U.S. Men's National Team earn.

"More than 100 Members of Congress stand with the players from the U.S. Women's National Team and fully support their complaint before the EEOC. Paying people fairly for the work they do should not be dependent on their gender and U.S. Soccer should correct this injustice for all current and future players," said Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro. "I urge Mr. Gulati to expeditiously eliminate gender pay disparities in the organization and to treat all athletes equally. Equal pay for equal work should not just be an ideal we strive for, but a reality."

"Women make up half the workforce, and are two-thirds of primary or co-breadwinners in America. Yet, after more than five decades after the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, a woman still makes only 79 cents, on average, for every dollar earned by a man," Members wrote in the letter. "That gap is even wider for women of color. Compared to white men, African American women are paid 60 cents, Native American women are paid 59 cents, and Hispanic Women are paid 55 cents."

"Paying people fairly for the work they do shouldn't be dependent on their gender, race or ethnicity. By acting for women now, and ensuring they get paid the same as men for the same work, we can give them, their families and our entire economy the tools to recover and thrive," the letter concludes.

The U.S. Women's National Team is world renowned. Last year, the team produced nearly $20 million in revenues and secured a World Cup victory. In the process, the team broke television rating records, delivering 25.4 million viewers in the final match alone, as compared to the men's record of 18.2 million in 2014. The facts make it clear that any argument that the wage discrimination is based on anything other than gender discrimination has no basis.

In support of equal pay, DeLauro has introduced the Paycheck Fairness Act in every Congress since 1997. The bill would strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963 by holding employers accountable for discriminatory practices, putting an end to pay secrecy, easing workers' ability to individually or jointly challenge pay discrimination, and fortifying the available remedies for wronged employees.

The full letter is available here.

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