National Equal Pay Day

Floor Speech

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Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, we are 103 days into 2016, and on Equal Pay Day, that number takes on significant, unfortunate meaning. Women have to work 103 extra days to match what men earned last year. That is unacceptable. Workers should be paid fairly for the work they do, regardless of their gender. Closing the wage gap would help grow our economy from the middle out, not from the top down.

I am glad to be here today with my colleagues to recognize Equal Pay Day, to stand up on behalf of women across the country, and to renew our call to put an end to the wage gap. Last year, I heard from a woman named Sandy from Seattle. Right out of college, Sandy got a job at a local nonprofit. After a couple of months of work, she was just chatting with a male colleague and found out he was offered 20 percent more in salary for doing the exact same job. She thought there had been some mistake. But when she asked about it, her boss told her they could not offer her a pay raise because of budget constraints.

Sandy's story is so common. On average, women today make 79 cents for every dollar a man makes. The pay gap is even wider for women of color. That is not just unfair to women; it hurts our families, and it hurts our economy. Today, 60 percent of working families rely on wages from two earners--60 percent.

More than ever, women are likely to be the primary breadwinner for their family. Women's success in today's economy is critical to families' economic security and to our Nation's economy as a whole. We need to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act to help close the wage gap. I so appreciate Senator Mikulski's tremendous leadership and passion on this issue. Her Paycheck Fairness Act would make it unlawful for employers to retaliate against workers for discussing pay. It does so in a commonsense way that reflects today's reality in the workplace.

It would empower women to negotiate for equal pay. It would close significant loopholes in the Equal Pay Act. It would create strong incentives for employers to provide equal pay. Passing the Paycheck Fairness Act is a critical stop on the long list of things we can do to build our economy from the middle out and make sure our country works for all families, not just the wealthiest few.

No matter where they live, no matter their background, no matter what career they choose, on average, women earn less than their male colleagues, even women soccer players on the U.S. Women's National Team. The Women's National Team has won three World Cup titles. They have won four Olympic Gold Medals. But despite all of their success, they are not immune from the pervasive wage gap. In fact, on average as players, they earn four times less than their male counterparts. It is not just about the men. Think about the message the wage gap sends to young girls who see women valued less than men for doing the same work and, in the case of the women's soccer team, doing it so much better.

I am glad members of the women's national soccer team are taking a stand to gain equal pay for the work they do. In the Senate, we are going to keep championing the Paycheck Fairness Act to make equal pay a reality for women across the country. I look forward to an Equal Pay Day in the future that we can actually celebrate, once we finally achieve pay equity regardless of gender.

Until then, my colleagues and I are going to keep fighting on behalf of all women and families until they get the equal pay they have earned.

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