Paycheck Fairness Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, this bill is not just about the past, it is about the future. Gender-based wage discrimination exists in every State and in many industries.

In the tech industry, which has a huge presence in my district in North Carolina's Research Triangle, women typically make thousands of dollars less than men in the same roles. Unsurprisingly, women in tech often leave the industry due to unfair compensation, much to that industry's detriment.

Pay inequity also follows women into retirement. Women have, on average, only 70 percent of the retirement income men have.

One of the best ways we can help close the wage gap is through salary negotiation training, which is one of the key provisions of this bill.

I am thankful to groups like Ladies Get Paid and countless others working to empower women to help them advocate for their work.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill for the sake of future generations.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record this letter from the National Council of Jewish Women. National Council of Jewish Women, Washington, DC, April 14, 2021. House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Representative: On behalf of our 180,000 members, advocates, and supporters, National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) urges you to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 7) without amendments that limit its scope or undermine its critical protections.

NCJW is a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates who turn progressive ideals into action. Inspired by Jewish values, NCJW strives for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children, and families and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms. The Torah compels us tzedek, tzedek tirdof--to pursue justice. To that end, we advocate for employment laws, policies, and practices that provide equal pay and benefits for work of comparable worth and equal opportunities for advancement.

Nearly 60 years after passage of the landmark Equal Pay Act, the gender way gap persists. Overall, women earn only 82 cents for every dollar earned by men, and the gap is much wider for women of color (Black women earn 63 cents, Indigenous women earn 60 cents, Latinas earn 55 cents, and some Asian American and Pacific Islander women earn only 52 cents). Earnings lost to these gaps are exacerbating the financial effects of COVID-19, falling particularly heavily on women of color and the families who depend on their income.

The Paycheck Fairness Act, which has been passed three previous times by the House of Representatives, mostly recently in the 116th Congress, offers a much needed update to the Equal Pay Act of 1963 by providing new tools to battle pervasive pay gaps and to challenge discrimination.

We cannot build back an economy that works for everyone without ensuring that all women can work with equality, safety, and dignity, starting with pay equity. Passing the Paycheck Fairness Act would mark a vitally important step toward ensuring this becomes reality. I ask you to vote YES on the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 7) without amendments that limit its scope or undermine its critical protections. Sincerely, Jody Rabhan, Chief Policy Officer, National Council of Jewish Women.

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