Lois Frankel: “This is a great day in America. I am so proud to say that as the Congress considers these bills that protect and advance…”

“This is a great day in America. I am so proud to say that as the Congress considers these bills that protect and advance human rights. I rise today, specifically, to talk about the Paycheck Fairness Act, because men and women should be able to be paid the same for doing the same work. I thank my colleagues, Rosa DeLauro and the committee chairman, Bobby Scott, for their advancement of this great legislation. Madam Speaker, I want to tell you a story, the story of a young lawyer who worked in the public defender's office. Her job was to represent people accused of crimes like murder and robbery. She was a free lawyer for them. It was very high pressure, and it was very grueling, but she loved it. When she got the job, she was told a rule: Nobody talks about salary in this office. But one day, she found out that a male colleague was doing the same job, and he had similar credentials, but he made much more money. She was making $18,000 a year. He was making $20,000. When she asked her boss why, she was told that he, the male attorney, had a wife and children to take care of. Madam Speaker, that was me. That happened to me 40 years ago. {time} 1245 It was then and still today is a very common experience to millions of women who are still earning 80 cents on the dollar that men make, and actually much less for women of color. It still makes me angry to think about my own experience, but I am not complaining about my own life journey.…”