OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Equal Pay for Equal Work

Floor Speech

Date: March 28, 2019
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Women Employment and Affirmative Action

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Ms. DEAN. Mr. Speaker, America is built on some core values that everyone should have an equal voice in our democracy, that everyone deserves equal opportunity, and that equal work should mean equal pay.

Right now, however, equal work doesn't mean equal pay. According to the United States Census Bureau, on average, women earn just 80 cents for every dollar earned by men. This wage gap hurts women, of course, but it also hurts their families and our economy as a whole.

Yesterday, we took a major step toward addressing this challenge by passing H.R. 7, the Paycheck Fairness Act. This bill will help close the wage gap by holding employers accountable for discriminatory practices and making it easier for workers to seek redress.

If we believe that Americans deserve equal pay for equal work--and I believe that as deeply as I believe anything--then this bill is how we put our values into action.

I thank Representative DeLauro for her decades of leadership on this issue, and I urge the Senate to take up this bill. What better way to conclude Women's History Month than by making history for women and for all Americans?

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