John Yarmuth: “When women succeed, our economy grows, our communities prosper, and our Nation thrives. And yet, 50 years after…”

“When women succeed, our economy grows, our communities prosper, and our Nation thrives. And yet, 50 years after President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law, some in Congress seem content to let the pay gap between men and women continue. Back in 1963, women earned 59 cents on average for every dollar a man took home. President Kennedy called that ``unconscionable.'' Meanwhile, about 1 in 10 mothers were their family's primary breadwinners. Five decades later, the number of female breadwinners has quadrupled. And yet women take home only 77 cents for every dollar a man earns for the same job. In 50 years, we've made 18 cents of progress. Congress hasn't updated the Equal Pay Act since President Kennedy signed it into law. The Paycheck Fairness Act would strengthen that law, adapt it to a much different American workplace than what we had in the sixties, and put us back on a pathway to pay equity in the workforce. Equal pay isn't just a women's issue--it's a family issue, it's an economic issue, it's a community issue, and it's also an issue that Congress has ignored. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Paycheck Fairness Act and help guarantee equal pay for equal work. ____________________”