Bonamici Urges Senate to Pass Paycheck Fairness Act

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1) today urged her colleagues in the U.S. Senate to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill that will help close the wage gap and strengthen economic security for women and their families.

“The concept of equal pay for equal work is not a new idea. And yet women today are still victims of wage discrimination. Nationally, women working full-time are paid 77 cents for every dollar paid to men. That gap is even more pronounced for African American women and Latinas,” Congresswoman Bonamici said. “This wage disparity puts the economic security of women and their families at risk.”

The Paycheck Fairness Act under consideration by the Senate strengthens and modernizes the 1963 Equal Pay Act by closing lBonamici Urges Senate to Pass Paycheck Fairness Actegal loopholes and providing female employees with resources and support to combat wage discrimination. Specifically, the Paycheck Fairness Act prohibits employers from punishing employees who discuss salaries with coworkers, puts gender-based discrimination on par with other forms of wage discrimination such as race, allows an employer to prove that a pay difference exists for a legitimate reason, creates negotiation training opportunities for women and girls, assists businesses with implementing equal pay practices, and enhances the federal government’s ability to investigate and enforce pay discrimination laws.

“Closing the pay gap will mean greater opportunities for American families. Paycheck fairness is not only good for women, it is good for families and great for our economy,” Congresswoman Bonamici said.

Congresswoman Bonamici, Lilly Ledbetter, and fellow Members of Congress are joining together at the Capitol today just before the Senate vote (2 pm EST) to voice their support for the Paycheck Fairness Act and women across the country.