On the recordJune 5, 2013
We are nearing the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, yet too many women continue to struggle. Too many women still don't receive equal pay for equal work. Fifty years after President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act, women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. That is not only wrong, it's bad for our economy. Working families often rely on two incomes, and more and more households have women as the primary source of income. That means women's take-home pay must cover the rent, the groceries, the doctor's visits. And when women succeed, our families succeed; so does our economy. I was proud to cast my first vote in Congress for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which restored women's right to challenge unfair pay in court, but there's more work to do. Over the past 50 years, the Equal Pay Act has never been updated or strengthened. That's where the Paycheck Fairness Act comes in. It strengthens and closes loopholes in the law. So let's get this done and send an important message that work is work, no matter who is doing it. Let's pass the Paycheck Fairness Act. ____________________
