On the recordApril 9, 2014
We know that when women succeed, America succeeds; but, unfortunately, our mothers, daughters, and sisters are not succeeding when women, on average, earn just 77 cents to every dollar that a man makes, and one in three women and their families are living on the brink of poverty. Across the Nation, women are facing unprecedented economic insecurity. Pay inequity, combined with the lack of affordable child care or paid family leave, means women are burdened with an unfair disadvantage and struggle to support their families. Pay discrimination means that African American women are expected to earn just 64 cents to every dollar earned by a White man, while Latinas earn just 54 cents. Yesterday, I was proud to join President Obama and Lilly Ledbetter at the White House to mark Equal Pay Day. We witnessed the President sign two critical executive orders that will empower women to fight pay discrimination. It is a simple principle: equal pay for equal work. I was disappointed that our Senate colleagues failed to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act and address this situation. I urge them to reconsider addressing the injustice of paycheck discrimination. ____________________
