Thomas Daschle: “this Friday, April 11, is National Pay Inequity Awareness Day, the day on which an average woman's salary, when combined…”

“this Friday, April 11, is National Pay Inequity Awareness Day, the day on which an average woman's salary, when combined with her salary from last year, will equal the salary earned by an average man in 1996 alone. It is a day that challenges us to meet our goal of providing equal pay for equal work. Today I want to take another step toward this goal by introducing Senate Resolution 70, a resolution recognizing the important role that women play in the work force and in supporting their families and how far we have yet to go before they will be fairly paid for their efforts. This is an issue of fairness and of families. In 1995, 72 percent of all two-parent families with children--18 million in total--were supported by a working father and a working mother. An additional 7.6 million families were dependent entirely on the income of a working mother. The burden of unfair pay falls directly on these families, and makes an immediate difference in their lives. For example, an average female secretary makes $2,000 less than a male secretary. Think of the difference that $2,000 can make in the life of a family--it can pay for bags of groceries, checkups for the children, or rent. Unfair pay is more than a slogan, it means less security for families struggling to meet the needs of their everyday lives. There is no dispute about the facts. On average, women earn 71 cents for every dollar earned by a man.”