Virginia Foxx: “Women deserve equal pay for equal work. In America, it is law codified in the Equal Pay Act and the Civil Rights Act.…”

“Women deserve equal pay for equal work. In America, it is law codified in the Equal Pay Act and the Civil Rights Act. Unfortunately, H.R. 7 is a false promise that creates opportunities and advantages for trial lawyers, not for working women, and the bill already requires new government studies. {time} 1530 H.R. 7 allows for undocumented compensatory and punitive damages, expands class actions, and makes it impossible to defend against a claim, when the pay difference at issue is legitimate. But the bill does not offer new protections for workers against pay discrimination. Both government and nongovernment studies have shown that the gender pay gap significantly shrinks when certain choices and factors are included, such as choices made in managing work-life demands. For example, a recent Harvard University study found that the gap in pay between female and male bus and train operators working for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority was explained by the workplace choices that women and men make, rather than other factors such as discrimination. The Harvard study is noteworthy because the workplace characteristics of the female operators are entirely comparable to their male operators. All of the operators are represented by the same union, and all are covered by the same collective bargaining agreement. We want to ensure the laws prohibiting pay discrimination are effective. However, this amendment, and the underlying provision in H.R.…”