Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter recognized April 20th as Equal Pay Day.  Perlmutter acknowledged the significance this day marks for women but says there is still more to be done.

“One of the top priorities of the 111th Congress was to pass the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.  The case of Ms. Ledbetter and the discrimination she faced in her honest attempt to receive fair pay for lost wages was a historical case for our nation.  This legislation ensures Lily Ledbetter’s struggle was worth the fight and sets a precedent for future women in the workplace.  I was proud to vote for this bill and glad it was President Obama’s first bill to sign.  This is the first step our country’s employers need to take in closing the wage gap between men and women.”

The signing into law of Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act President Obama restored title VII of the Civil Rights Act. The bill ensures workers filing for pay discrimination do not have to worry about employers creating arbitrary deadlines for filing their complaints.  Workers do not have to face the threat of employer discipline for discussing their wages with other coworkers.  The passage of this bill dates to a previous bill signed by President John F. Kennedy in the Equal Pay Act in 1963.

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