Paycheck Fairness Act
Floor Speech
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Mrs. McBATH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Paycheck Fairness Act.
I want to commend Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro for her extraordinary efforts and commend Chairman Scott for bringing this timely policy to fruition.
I am proud to be an original cosponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act. I think most of us can agree that every American should earn equal pay for equal work.
This legislation takes meaningful steps toward ensuring that every American, regardless of gender, receives fair compensation for their work.
We have seen over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic that essential workers are the lifeblood of our society. We have seen women on the frontlines in the hospital, in the classroom, and at our essential retail stores, and it is time that all of these ``sheroes'' are compensated at the same rate as their male counterparts.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters urging passage of this legislation and highlighting the persistent wage gaps between genders. International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Washington, DC, April 13, 2021. House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Representative: On behalf of the more than 1.4 million members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, I urge you to support fundamental fairness by combating wage discrimination on the basis of sex by passing H.R. 7, the Paycheck Fairness Act. I urge you to vote yes on H.R. 7 and to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act without any weakening amendments.
The Paycheck Fairness Act would address the persistent wage gap based on sex by eliminating loopholes that hinder the effectiveness of the Equal Pay Act of 1963. H.R. 7 would update and strengthen the Equal Pay Act in important ways. The bill closes loopholes that have allowed employers to pay women less than men for the same work without any important business purpose related to the job. It would require employers to demonstrate that wage gaps are truly the result of factors other than gender. Importantly, it would prohibit retaliation against workers who share salary information or inquire about their employer's wage practices. H.R. 7 would also bring the remedies and procedures of the Equal Pay Act into conformance with those available for other civil rights claims. The Paycheck Fairness Act holds employers accountable for pay discrepancies between their male and female employees while strengthening incentives to prevent pay discrimination. And, it would preclude pay discrimination from following women from job to job.
While some progress has been made since the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, the wage gap still persists, and disparities are evident at every educational level. Nationally, women still earn only 82 cents for every dollar earned by their male colleagues. For women of color, the wage gaps are even larger.
Passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act will provide women and all other workers the tools necessary to challenge discrimination against them. It is an important step in making real progress in the fight to eliminate the gender wage gap and to provide economic, and retirement, security to women and their families.
It is well past the time to end pay discrimination in the workplace. The Teamsters Union urges you to reject weakening amendments and to vote yes on final passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act. Sincerely, James P. Hoffa, General President.
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Mrs. McBATH. Mr. Speaker, the gender gap is clear, and the Paycheck Fairness Act will address this disparity. Not only will this legislation help women in Georgia, but it will help families across the Nation.
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