DeLauro Statement on Equal Pay Day and the New National Monument Honoring the Movement for Women’s Equality

WASHINGTON, DC (April 12, 2016) — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today released the following statement on Equal Pay Day and the President designating Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument in Washington, DC to honor the movement for women’s equality.

“Throughout American history, countless women – including my mother, who served on the New Haven City Council for 35 years – have fought for women’s rights and strived to make the United States a more equal and just nation. From Alice Paul and Alva Belmont, to Lilly Ledbetter and Betty Dukes, women have taken the fight for equality to the highest levels of the federal government. The President’s designation of the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument ensures that we can pass the home’s legacy – and our history – onto future generations.

“More than 85 years after the National Woman’s Party moved into the Sewall-Belmont House, the fight for full equality continues today. The wage gap has a significant effect on women and families across the country, and in 2016, there is no reason why women should earn on average just 79 cents to a man’s dollar. Men and women in the same job should have the same pay. Period. I will continue to fight for equal pay and Congress should finally enact the Paycheck Fairness Act and give women the right to succeed. Let us do it for our sisters, our daughters, and every future American woman.”

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.

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