Congresswoman Brown Says Paycheck Fairness Act Should Also Be Enacted,
A Key Component of “When Women Succeed, America Succeeds” Agenda
[Washington, D.C.] – Today, Congresswoman Brown marked the Fifth Anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, a critical law championing the principle of equal pay for women. President Obama signed this key law on January 29, 2009. The Lilly Ledbetter Act restored basic protections against pay discrimination for women and other workers, ensuring any woman facing unfair treatment would have their day in court.
“Achieving equal pay for women was one of the top priorities for the Democratic-led Congress in 2009 – and it was the first bill signed into law by President Obama,” Congresswoman Brown said. “The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act reaffirmed a core American principle: equal pay for equal work, regardless of gender, race, or background.”
However, today, with women still earning an average of just 77 cents for every dollar a man earns, more must be done to achieve pay equity. With mothers now serving as the sole breadwinner or co-breadwinner for two-thirds of American families and women making up nearly half the labor force, the wage gap hurts families, businesses, and communities.
“On this anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, we should vow to move forward with When Women Succeed, America Succeeds: An Economic Agenda for Women and Families, including the Paycheck Fairness Act,” Congresswoman Brown stated. “President Obama highlighted the When Women Succeed, America Succeeds agenda in the State of the Union last night and declared that a woman deserves equal pay for equal work.”
“Although the Lilly Ledbetter Act has been enacted, we need to do more,” Congresswoman Brown said. “Passing the Paycheck Fairness Act is a critically important next step. The legislation would strengthen and close loopholes in the 50-year-old Equal Pay Act, including providing effective remedies to women who are not being paid equal wages for doing equal work.”
The Paycheck Fairness Act is a critical component of When Women Succeed, America Succeeds, an agenda House Democrats unveiled in July 2013. This economic agenda includes such key pillars as fair pay, work and family balance, and child care. It is based on a recognition that too many women face financial pressures simply due to outdated policies that constrain opportunities for women’s full participation in our economy.
Democrats have worked to enact the Paycheck Fairness Act for years. In 2012, Republicans in both the House and Senate voted to block the bill. In 2014, it’s time for Republicans to stand up for America’s women and families and help pass the critical Paycheck Fairness Act.
“All of us in Congress should vow that, in order to strengthen the American family and ensure fairness in the workplace, we will work together until we have achieved an America where women are truly paid equal pay for equal work,” concluded Congresswoman Brown.
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