Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of H.R. 7, the Paycheck Fairness Act. I thank Representative DeLauro for her efforts in continuing to push this bill to fruition. As chair of the HELP Subcommittee and as an African American woman, I feel very strongly about the issue of pay fairness. Our Nation cannot adequately improve labor conditions without addressing the stark inequities that exist along gender and racial lines. The fact that, on average, women currently earn just 80 cents for every dollar a man earns for the same position and amount of work is just plain wrong and is a disgrace. By passing the Paycheck Fairness Act and promoting wage parity, we can lift families out of poverty and keep harmful biases out of the workplace. There are too many poor working people in America working two and three jobs to keep their families whole. Research has shown that a woman's level of education and work experience or chosen industry do not necessarily shield her from unfair pay. This problem is widespread and can be found across all sectors of the economy, affecting even the most prepared women. Economically disadvantaged women are hit extremely hard, as are women of color. There are two Americas, a rich and prosperous America and a poor and struggling America. Black and Latina women earn 61 cents and 53 cents, respectively, for every dollar earned by men who perform the same job--such a discrepancy, such a stark statistic, such a shame.…”