Political Quotes

“Mr. President, let me begin by acknowledging the leadership of the Senator from Maryland and the other Senators who have come to the floor this morning to speak on behalf of a bill whose time has come and, some might say, a bill whose time has passed. It has been almost 50 years since the original gender equity in the workplace bill was passed, and it has not been modernized in over five decades. So, in large measure, this is really a bill whose time has come, and we hope to make that law happen in the next few weeks. With support from both Democrats and Republicans and by putting common sense and heart and compassion and good business sense, might I say, before political talking points, this, in fact, could be done. The reason this bill is so important is because 50 years ago women were not major breadwinners in families. As the Presiding Officer knows, there was tremendous hiring discrimination against women and minorities. Happily, that seems to be passing and fading. There are women now at the highest ranks of corporate America. We have had women serving in the highest positions here in Washington, DC, and around our country. While there still is a gap that can be recognized both in the private and public sector, the ability for women, with the right credentials and the right background, to get hired is easier today and is happening more than ever before. The problem is that when we look at the wage gap, unfortunately, it still persists.…”