Committee Passes Bill to Help Close Gender Wage Gap

By Betsy Miller Kittredge on 07-24-2008, 04:23 PM in

The Committee passed the Paycheck Fairness Act today to help end the discriminatory practice of paying men and women unequally for performing the same job, by a 26 to 17 vote. The bill, which was introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, will strengthen the Equal Pay Act and close the loopholes that have allowed employers to avoid responsibility for discriminatory 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.

“This is a historic day in the fight for equal rights for women. If we are serious about closing the gender pay gap, we must get serious about punishing those who would otherwise scoff at the weak sanctions under current law. Any wage gap based on gender is unacceptable, especially during these tough economic times. By allowing wage discrimination to continue, we hold down women and their families while harming the American economy as a whole.” -- Chairman George Miller

“It’s completely unacceptable that women continue to be discriminated against in the workplace, receiving a fraction of the pay of men. We must confront such discrimination head on and ensure that all Americans, regardless of gender, receive an equal paycheck for equal pay for equal work.” -- Rep. Lynn Woolsey, chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections