DeLauro, Murray Applaud Federal Court Ruling on Equal Pay Data Collection

WASHINGTON, DC – (March 5, 2019) Today, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, released the following statements regarding the United States District Court for the District of Columbia's ruling against the Trump administration, which halted a key equal pay data collection rule in August 2017.

"I am delighted to see last night's federal court ruling striking down the Trump administration's shameless attempt to stifle equal pay," said Congresswoman DeLauro. "The EEO-1 form will help more than 30 million women negotiate for equal pay. Data collection on equal pay enables the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to more effectively root out pay discrimination while encouraging companies to identify and correct pay disparities. This tool is essential to addressing pay discrimination head on instead of sweeping it under the rug, and I welcome its re-implementation."

"The gender pay gap hurts women, families, and our entire economy, and the Trump Administration's decision to block the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from collecting equal pay data was a clear sign that they have no interest in closing the gap," said Senator Murray. "I'm pleased a federal judge overruled the Administration's harmful decision, but it's still unacceptable that the Trump Administration ever tried to suppress this evidence on pay discrimination and I'm going to keep fighting to ensure every worker, and their families, has the financial stability to succeed in our economy."