DeLauro Statement on Senate Paycheck Fairness Act Vote

WASHINGTON—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), issued the following statement on today's Senate vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act. DeLauro is the original author of the legislation, first introduced in 1997, that puts teeth into the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to ensure women receive equal pay for equal work.

"Almost fifty years after Congress passed the Equal Pay Act, women are still making only 77 cents on the dollar compared to men. Today's vote shows that Republicans are continuing to bury their heads in the sand and ignore the obvious financial pressures women and their families are facing. The Paycheck Fairness Act would take critical steps to strengthen and reform the Equal Pay Act by putting an end to pay secrecy, strengthening workers' ability to challenge discrimination and bringing equal pay law into line with other civil rights laws. President Obama has pledged to sign this legislation and it is shameful that within the past week Republicans in both chambers of Congress have denied us the opportunity to even debate the Paycheck Fairness Act, to say nothing of having an actual vote on it."

Teresa C. Younger, Executive Director of the Connecticut Permanent Commission on the Status of Women also said: "It is extremely disappointing that the U.S. Senate once again promulgated gender discrimination by not even bringing the Paycheck Fairness Act to a cloture vote needed for debate. It's unthinkable that any branch of government claiming to be representative fails utterly to represent half its population. The Senate has said, in effect, that a woman is worth only two-thirds of what a man is worth. We in Connecticut, however, can be proud of Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the state's only female representative, who has shown exceptional leadership and advocacy for this cause. Connecticut's delegation leads the way in voting for enlightened public policy in a time when so many are determined to roll back progress in gender equity."