Committee on Education and Labor : U.S. House of Representatives

Press Releases

House Passes Bill to Help Close Gender Wage Gap
Measure would strengthen the landmark Equal Pay Act

Thursday, July 31, 2008

 

WASHINGTON, DC -- Despite a Presidential veto threat, the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation today that would help end the discriminatory practice of paying men and women unequally for performing the same job.

By a 247 to 178 vote, the committee passed the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 1338), introduced by U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), a bill that will strengthen the Equal Pay Act and close the loopholes that have allowed employers to avoid responsibility for discriminatory pay.

“This is a historic step forward in the fight for equal rights for women. It’s a shame that so many women still struggle to receive equal pay for equal work,” said Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. “Congress sends a clear message today that this injustice must not stand. If the Bush administration is truly committed to the principle of equal pay for women, they should immediately drop their veto threat and support this historic measure.”

“I want to thank my friends Chairman Miller and Congresswoman DeLauro for all of their work on this issue,” said Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. “We have to remember that the Paycheck Fairness Act is about a lot more than fixing a couple of loopholes in a law that passed decades ago. It’s about strengthening families, combating poverty, and finally recognizing that equal work deserves equal pay.”

Although the wage gap between men and women has narrowed since the passage of the landmark Equal Pay Act in 1963, gender-based wage discrimination remains a significant problem for women in the U.S. workforce. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women only make 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man.

The Institute of Women’s Policy Research concluded that this wage disparity will cost a woman anywhere from $400,000 to $2 million over her lifetime in lost wages.

For more information on the Paycheck Fairness Act, click here.

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