On Equal Pay Day, DeLauro Leads Entire House Democratic Caucus in Introducing the Paycheck Fairness Act
Press Conference Video Available HERE
Today, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced the Paycheck Fairness Act, legislation that would strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963, help eliminate the gender wage gap, and guarantee that women can challenge pay discrimination and hold employers accountable.
“Equal Pay Day marks how far into the current year a woman must work to catch up to what her male counterpart earned in the previous year,” said Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee DeLauro. “Six decades after passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, women working full-time or part-time still earn 75 cents for every dollar earned by men. We are in a cost of living crisis – this must end. Equal pay for equal work is a simple concept – men and women in the same job deserve the same pay. It is time we make it real it for the millions of American women who are being unfairly undervalued in the workplace. Let’s enact the Paycheck Fairness Act and empower working women by giving them the tools to ensure their contributions to the workplace are properly respected and reflected in their pay.”
“When you do the same work as your colleagues, you should get the same pay, and no one should get to rip you off and pay you less because you are a woman. For anyone who is serious about fighting for women—for anyone who is serious about ensuring our economy is built on merit and not undermined by discrimination—this is basic stuff. But Trump and Elon—some of the richest men in the world—are right now eliminating a 60-year old executive order that helped ensure federal contractors don’t discriminate against women, illegally firing commissioners at the EEOC, which enforces existing pay discrimination laws, and making it easier to rip workers off,” said Senator Patty Murray, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “Women don’t want more discrimination. They don’t want more of their pay stolen by bosses like Elon. They just want the pay they earned. They just want to be treated decently—and paid fairly no matter who they are. Republicans can choose to stand with billionaires who cheat their workers—but by reintroducing the Paycheck Fairness Act today, Democrats are showing that we stand with women, we stand with workers, we stand for fairness, and we are going to keep fighting to make sure people get the pay they have rightfully earned, down to the last dime.”
“It’s been 61 years since we passed the Equal Pay Act. And we still don’t have equal pay?! It keeps getting worse because there isn’t a mechanism to fight this discrimination. Every member of the DWC is a proud cosponsor of Rep. DeLauro’s Paycheck Fairness Act so women can challenge pay discrimination and hold employers accountable,” said Democratic Women’s Caucus Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03). “We are fighting for legislation to guarantee wage transparency so women know when they’re being paid less for the same work. We are fighting for paid leave for all so that no woman has to choose between their paycheck and caring for their loved ones. This is not just a matter of fairness—it’s a matter of dignity. We believe in a world where you can balance your work and your family without losing the job that sustains you.”
March 25th marks Equal Pay Day, the day when women's earnings catch up to what their male counterparts earned in the previous year. More than five decades after the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the gender wage gap widened for the first time in 20 years. Across the U.S., women still earn just 75 cents for every dollar paid to men, resulting in a gap of $14,170 each year. The wage gap costs women in the U.S. nearly $1.7 trillion a year. The gap exists in every state, regardless of geography, occupation, education, or work patterns. The Paycheck Fairness Act would help close the gender pay gap for women across the country.
“The reintroduction of the Paycheck Fairness Act reaffirms our Congressional champions’ commitment to closing the wage gap and continuing the fight for pay equity,” said Jocelyn C. Frye, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families. “We join Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, Senator Patty Murray, and all of our leaders on Capitol Hill in calling for the passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act because it would help shrink the wage gap and get workers one step closer to fair wages, giving families a better chance at achieving long-term economic security.”
“More than sixty years after Congress passed the Equal Pay Act, women continue to be undervalued and underpaid, and they continue to face a wage gap in nearly every occupation. If the wage gap doesn’t close, a woman who works full time, year-round stands to lose $462,000 over her career, and many women of color stand to lose even more. Black women stand to lose over 1 million dollars to the wage gap over the course of their career, and Latinas and Indigenous women will lose over 1.2 million dollars. That’s money women and their families could use to pay for groceries and gas, to invest in education or a home, and to save for retirement. In a moment where workers’ civil rights are under attack, it is more important than ever to strengthen our laws and provide the tools we need to fight pay discrimination and help ensure fair pay. We need Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act now.” – Katie Sandson, Senior Counsel, Education & Workplace Justice, National Women’s Law Center
"Communities across the country are looking to Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act to end pay disparities harming working families,” said Noreen Farrell, chair of the Equal Pay Today campaign and executive director of Equal Rights Advocates. “Workers are tired of political division on commonsense economic issues. They are suffering from a Trump Agenda favoring billionaires and growing wealth disparities. The Paycheck Fairness Act is an opportunity for Congress to come together and put the $1.7 trillion lost annually to the pay gap back in the pockets of working families - where it belongs. When women are paid equally for their work and have access to high paying jobs, everyone wins. We can do this. We must do this.”
“AAUW applauds Rep. DeLauro and Sen. Murray for reintroducing the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would strengthen the Equal Pay Act by increasing transparency, protecting workers from retaliation, and holding employers accountable. As The Not So Simple Truth shows, there is not just one pay gap — there are many, especially for women of color. At a time when diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are under attack, we must do more — not less — to ensure all women are paid what they deserve.” — Gloria L. Blackwell, CEO, American Association of University Women
The legislation is cosponsored by every member of the House Democratic Caucus. A list of endorsing organizations is available here.