Political Quotes

“I rise today to reintroduce the Paycheck Fairness Act, an important piece of legislation that is even more poignant today, Equal Pay Day, which is the day in 2011 where women earn as much as men did in 2010. It is also unfortunately marked by families doing more with less, and making tough decisions to make ends meet. I thank the 24 of my colleagues that have joined me as original cosponsors of this important legislation today. As a U.S. Senator, I am fighting for jobs today and jobs tomorrow. I am on the side of a fair economy and I am on the side of good-guy businesses. We need an economy that works for everyone, and works for the American family. But that means equal pay for equal work, and that individuals are judged solely by their individual skills, competence, unique talents and nothing else. The Paycheck Fairness Act gives us the much needed tools to make this happen. Women make this country run--we are business leaders, entrepreneurs, politicians, mothers and more. We also bring home a growing share of the family pocketbook, as evidenced by a recent White House report, ``Women In America''. But we earn just 77 cents for every dollar our male counterpart makes, and women of color get even less. Inexplicably, these disparities exist across all levels of education and occupation. In my home State of Maryland, the average woman has to receive a bachelor's degree before she earns as much as the average male high school graduate. This is unacceptable.…”