OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Lilly Ledbetter and Paycheck Fairness

Floor Speech

Date: Feb. 3, 2012
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Women Employment and Affirmative Action

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, 3 years ago this week, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was signed into law. Named after a true hero who was shortchanged by her employer for decades and who fought back all the way to the Supreme Court, the Lilly Ledbetter Act ensured that women who are discriminated against have the right to sue as long as their unequal pay continues.

This was a good first step, but we have to do more to achieve real pay equity in America. Today, women are still only paid 77 cents on the dollar as compared to men for the very same job. They lose out on between $400,000 and $2 million over a lifetime. This is an injustice.

It is time to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act already passed twice by this body. It would give real teeth to the Equal Pay Act. It has been almost 50 years since Congress passed the Equal Pay Act. It is time to ensure that one-half of America's workforce is paid as fairly as the other half.


Source
arrow_upward