Senator Obama Votes to Support the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Printable FormatFor Immediate Release
Contact: Michael Ortiz
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama voted in favor of the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (H.R. 2831). This bill is aimed at reversing a Supreme Court ruling that made it harder for working women, like Lilly Ledbetter, to hold their employers accountable for pay discrimination. After Senator Obama met with Ledbetter in the U.S. Capitol, he released the following statement:
"Today, too many women are still earning less than men for doing the same work, making it harder for working families to make ends meet, harder for single mothers to climb out of poverty, and harder for elderly women to afford their retirement. That kind of pay discrimination is wrong and has no place in the United States of America.
"And this evening, we have a chance to do something about it.
"The Ledbetter Fair Pay Act would overturn an unfair Supreme Court decision that made it harder for working women to sue their employers for pay discrimination.
"Passing this bill is an important step in closing the pay gap, something I helped to do in Illinois, and something I've fought to do since I arrived in the Senate. I've co-sponsored legislation to ensure that women receive equal pay for equivalent work and to require that employers disclose their pay scales for various kinds of jobs. This information will allow women to determine whether they are being discriminated against - information they often lack right now.
"We also have to strengthen enforcement of existing laws by increasing the EEOC's funding and staffing, and ensuring that its members have a strong commitment to ending discrimination.
"In the end, closing the pay gap is essential, but that alone will not be enough to make sure that women and girls have an equal shot at the American dream. We also need to update the social contract in this country to reflect the realities that working women face each day.
"It's wrong that 40% of working women in this country do not have a single day of paid sick leave. We should require employers to provide seven paid sick days each year. We should also enforce laws that prohibit caregiver discrimination, double federal funding for quality after-school programs, and encourage flexible work schedules to help parents balance work and family. That's how we'll build a more just and equal America.
"And that's what this bill is about. It's a common-sense measure to restore justice and equality in the workplace. Unfortunately, the Bush Administration is siding with the special interests and has threatened to veto it, something it has done only a handful of times in the past seven and a half years.
"I believe that if you work hard and do a good job, you should be rewarded no matter what you look like, where you come from, or what gender you are. That's why I'm supporting this bill and that's why I urge my colleagues to do the same."