On the recordApril 15, 2021
I am pleased to strongly support H.R. 7, the Paycheck Fairness Act, a critically important bill. As the first woman to chair the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, I enforced the Equal Pay Act. I particularly appreciate that H.R. 7 would bring long-awaited strength to the EPA. I especially appreciate that Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, a great champion for equal pay, has included my Pay Equity for All Act in H.R. 7, where I will focus today. The Pay Equity for All Act would prohibit employers from asking job applicants their salary history. Even though many employers may not intentionally discriminate against applicants or employees based on gender, race, or ethnicity, setting wages based on salary history is routinely done in the workplace and can reinforce the wage gap. Evidence clearly shows that members of historically disadvantaged groups often start their careers with unfair and artificially low wages compared to their White male counterparts, and these disparities are compounded from job to job. Job and salary offers should be based on an applicant's skill and merit, not on salary history. This bill addresses this problem by assessing penalties against employers who ask applicants for their salary history during the interview process.
