Paycheck Fairness Act - Motion to Proceed

Floor Speech

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Mr. President, I strongly affirm the principle of equal pay for equal work. Both the Equal Pay Act and title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which were passed on a bipartisan basis, have helped increase career opportunities for women and ensure they receive equal pay for equal work. That is a principle we strongly support.

Women have made progress. They now hold more than half of all managerial and professional jobs--more than double the number of women in 1980--and women comprise a majority in the five fastest growing job fields. According to the Department of Education, women receive 57 percent of all college degrees, 33 percent more than in 1970.

We believe--the reports prepared for the U.S. Department of Labor recognize--that commonly used wage gap statistics don't tell the full story. Factors including differences in occupation, education, fields of study, type of work, hours worked, and other personal choices shape career paths and they shape earning potential. Moreover, salaries alone don't account for total compensation. Still, some women continue to struggle with gender-based pay discrimination, directly impacting a woman's livelihood, financial future, and her job security. With 60 percent of women working as the primary breadwinners, lost wages detrimentally impact families as well as single women.

We fully agree that gender-based pay discrimination in the modern workplace is unacceptable. We just have different ideas from some of our colleagues about the best way to combat this. Prevailing concern among women with wage discrimination indicates that there is more work to do. That is why I have worked with Senator Collins, Senator Ayotte, and Senator Murkowski to file an amendment to modernize key portions of that 51-year-old Equal Pay Act.

Our proposal prevents retaliation against employees who inquire about, discuss or disclose their salaries. It reinforces current law which prohibits pay discrimination based on gender, and it requires employers to notify the employees of their rights, but we don't stop there because I believe we need a solution that addresses both discrimination and the opportunity gap or the need to provide both men and women with good-paying jobs.

Our amendment consolidates duplicative job training programs and it provides Federal grants to States for the creation of industry-led partnerships. This program is meant to provide to women and men who are underrepresented in industries that report worker shortages with the skills they need to compete. Such industries include manufacturing, energy, transportation, information technology, and health care. Importantly, no new spending is appropriated.

Unfortunately, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are blocking consideration of what I believe is this very commonsense amendment and a number of other Republican amendments that would also help with job creation.

This is nothing more than election year politics. I find it very disappointing. As women and as lawmakers, we believe our proposal to directly address discrimination in the workplace is reasonable, it is fact-based, and it is a great approach. More government and more lawyers will not lead to more pay for women.

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