Congressman Cohen's Statement on Equal Pay Day
Statement
Congressman Cohen's Statement on Equal Pay Day
Today, in honor of Equal Pay Day, Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
"President John F. Kennedy signed the landmark Equal Pay Act into law in 1963, and yet, 35 years later, women still do not receive equal pay for equal work in this country. When President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act, women were making just 59 cents on average for every dollar earned by men. In 2006, it was about 77 cents on the dollar. While women are being compensated more equitably now than they were in the Sixties; the income disparity between men and women in this country remains unacceptable.
Last July, the House of Representatives passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which I proudly cosponsored and spoke in support of on the House floor. It is to be considered in the Senate tomorrow. The Act restores basic protections against pay discrimination and rectifies a May 2007 Supreme Court decision in the case of Ledbetter v. Goodyear that overturned longstanding precedents regarding pay discrimination claims. The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, ruled that a worker must file charges of pay discrimination within 180 days of an employer's discriminatory infraction. This is an unrealistic burden on employees as it requires them to know what their coworkers are being paid.
I am also cosponsoring the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would strengthen provisions of the original Equal Pay Act of 1963 to provide more effective remedies to women that are treated unfairly in the workplace. I'm optimistic that this bill will pass the House within the next few months.
I will continue to fight to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work. Eliminating income disparities among men and women doing equal work is a common-sense issue that affects all working women and their families. By eradicating unfair treatment in the labor market, we can help families gain the resources they need to ensure that their children have access to a better future in the 21st century."
You may view Congressman Cohen's speech in support of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act from July 30, 2007, HERE.
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