Equal Pay Day

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, more than five decades have passed since we signed the Equal Pay Act into law, but in 2016, women still make 79 cents to the dollar that their male counterparts make. And it is worse for women of color. African American women earn 60 cents and Latinas earn 55 for every dollar earned by men.

The Joint Economic Committee, which I am proud to serve on, found that women lose out on more than $500,000 throughout their career. And this wage gap continues to hurt women when they retire. The median income for women 65 and older is 44 percent less than that of men in the same age group.

Every Congress, for nearly 20 years, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro has introduced the Paycheck Fairness Act. I am thankful for her leadership, and I am proud to join her as a cosponsor of the bill, because I am not going to stand by while North Carolina women make just 82 cents for every dollar earned by men.

Today on Equal Pay Day, I call on my colleagues to stop shortchanging women and our families. Let's pass the Paycheck Fairness Act.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source