Congresswoman Barbara Lee Marks Equal Pay Day, Calls for Passage of Equal Pay Act
Washington, D.C. – As the United States marks Equal Pay Day on April 8, Congresswoman Barbara Lee joined colleagues at the White House and released the following statement. Equal Pay Day symbolizes when, more than three months into the year, women’s wages finally catch up to what men were paid in the previous year:
“Nationwide women earn only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men, despite the fact that the Equal Pay Act will mark its 51st anniversary in June. These numbers are even worse for women of color, who earn only 64 cents on the dollar, and Latina women who earn only 54 cents on the dollar that a white man earns.
“One of the best ways to combat this inequity is by passing the The Paycheck Fairness Act .The bill strengthens and closes loopholes in the 1963 Equal Pay Act and provides effective remedies to women who are not being paid equal pay for equal work.
“Equal pay is not simply a woman’s issue – it’s a family issue. Families increasingly rely on women’s wages to make ends meet. When women bring home less money each day, it means they have less for the everyday needs of their families – groceries, rent, child care, doctors’ visits.
“We must ensure that women are paid equally and fairly to ensure that everyone, regardless of sex, creed, race, background, national origin, or sexual orientation has a chance at achieving the American dream.”