Supporting The Goals Of Equal Pay Day

Floor Speech

SUPPORTING THE GOALS OF EQUAL PAY DAY -- (Extensions of Remarks - May 02, 2007)

* Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of ensuring equal pay for equal work for all Americans.

* Since 1963, when President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law, women have made significant strides in the workplace. However, there continues to be a wage gap, and in 2006, women earned 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. A new study by the American Association of University Women finds that just 1 year out of college women are earning only 80 percent of what men earn, and by 10 years after graduation the gap has widened and women are making only 69 percent as much as men.

* More than 40 years after the Equal Pay Act was signed into law, a woman has to work nearly 16 months to earn an amount equal to the amount a man earns in just 12 months. This gap results in $250,000 in lost wages over the course of the average woman's life. This wage gap not only affects a woman's current income, but often means she will have less money available to her in retirement. For women of color the pay disparities are even greater--African American women earn 71 percent and Latinas earn 58 percent of what their male colleagues earn.

* The gender wage gap is not just a women's issue, it is an issue that affects the strength of our families and our communities. This is why I am a cosponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act to strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to provide for equal rights in pay regardless of a person's sex, race or national origin. This legislation should be a priority for the 110th Congress.

* It is long past time to close the gender pay gap. I urge my colleagues to join me in working to eliminate these unjust pay disparities.

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