Political Quotes

On the recordNovember 17, 2010
it is nearing 2 years since we passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act protecting the principle of equal pay for equal work by allowing workers to pursue pay discrimination cases beyond the arbitrary window established by the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, while the Lilly Ledbetter Act was an important step in eliminating pay discrimination, a sizable pay gap remains between working men and women. The numbers are astounding. Nearly 50 years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act, a recent GAO report shows that managers who are women make 81 cents to every dollar of their male counterparts. According to the U.S. Census Bureau report, the gap grows even larger--77 cents to every dollar--when looking at the entire working population. In Illinois, for a median income household, that is a difference of $11,000 each year. This is a significant difference in compensation. Imagine, for a family where the woman is the primary or only wage-earner how much difference $11,000 a year could make. The Paycheck Fairness Act would help narrow this pay gap by amending the Equal Pay Act to reduce discrimination in the workplace.
Said by
Dick Durbin
Democratic · Illinois
Source
govinfo.gov
Nov 17, 2010

Editor's note · Context

Durbin discusses the ongoing pay gap between men and women and advocates for the Paycheck Fairness Act.

Share

More from Dick Durbin

Aug 20, 2026

For all of these reasons, ATF should withdraw this rule.

durbin.senate.gov
Aug 21, 2026

Timely access to blood can be the difference between life and death, especially in a medical emergency.

durbin.senate.gov
Aug 18, 2026

That’s why we’ve had an ongoing battle here in Washington for years against the for-profit college and university industry.

durbin.senate.gov
Aug 29, 2026

Courtrooms handling upwards of 150 respondents in a judge’s morning docket raise serious concerns about whether individuals are receiving a meaningful opportunity to be heard.

durbin.senate.gov

Other voices in this conversation