Political Quotes

“I thank Senator Coons. I probably will not take 10 minutes, but what I will speak about is really compelling. Amendment No. 431 Later on during the vote-arama we will be considering my amendment that will create a reserve fund that should we pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, it will in no way negate the spending within our budget. It is essentially the functional equivalent of a sense-of-the-Senate resolution that the Senate should pass the Paycheck Fairness Act. We talk a lot about growing the economy. The economy will grow when people work. The people who are entering the workforce who have been one of the driving forces for the last 30 years are women. Although we are in the workforce full force, we are still not being paid equal pay for equal work. It is outrageous. If you want to grow the economy, pass paycheck fairness so we are not harassed for simply trying to find out what our pay is and how we can get equal pay for the same job. Women across America are worried about staying in the middle class if they are already there or getting to the middle class if they are not there. Nearly 50 years after passage of the Equal Pay Act, women still get paid less than men. This budget is a reflection of our values and priorities, and eliminating the wage gap should be one. For years I and other colleagues have fought for paycheck fairness. Under that act, no longer would employers be able to retaliate against workers for sharing information about wages.…”