Political Quotes

“last Sunday, I joined millions of people across the country to celebrate the mothers in our lives--in mine, my wife Marcelle, my daughter, friends, and other family members. Mother's Day is an important reminder of just how essential these inspirational women are to their families, their friends, and their communities. Mothers--and all women--are also essential to the fabric of our economy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, just four decades ago, fewer than half of mothers were in the American work force. Today, 70 percent of mothers are working outside the home, and one-third of working mothers are the sole wage earners in their households. More than 30 percent of Vermont families rely on working moms as the exclusive wage earners in their homes. The numbers are staggering. Yet working moms still fall behind in equal and fair pay. The Joint Economic Committee of Congress recently released a report showing that working mothers earn 3 percent less than women without children, while fathers earn 15 percent more than men without children. Working moms also face the potential of missing scheduled wage increases or bonuses, if they take time away from the workforce to care for a child. Vermont has been a national leader in leveling the playing field for working moms. In 2002 the Green Mountain State enacted its own Equal Pay Act, making it illegal for employers to offer anything less than equal pay for equal work.…”