All Congressional Democrats cosponsor Paycheck Fairness Act

All Democrats in Congress are cosponsors of the Paycheck Fairness Act introduced Thursday to reinforce the Equal Pay Act of 1963, assist in fixing the gender pay gap and ensure women can contest wage inequity and hold employers accountable.

The Paycheck Fairness Act was introduced ahead of the twelfth anniversary of the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law.

House Appropriations Committee Chair Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions incoming Chair Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) led Congressional Democrats in reintroducing the Act, which would end the pay secrecy practice and reinforce the accessible solutions for wronged workers.

Included among President Joe Biden’s gender equality priorities, the Act is bipartisan. It is cosponsored in the House by every Democratic House member and two Republican House members. In the Senate, it is cosponsored by every Democratic Senate member.

Chairwoman DeLauro said on the occasion, “The concept is simple: men and women in the same job deserve the same pay. Job loss resulting from the coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately impacted women, with women accounting for 100% of jobs lost in December.”

She added, “We must enact the Paycheck Fairness Act to both close the worsening pay gap and protect and empower women as they reenter the job force. This legislation is long overdue, but this is the Congress that it will finally be signed into law.”

Senator Murray stated, “As workers across the country struggle to make ends meet amid this economic crisis, women cannot afford to wait any longer to get equal pay. Right now, women are still paid less on average than their male counterparts — and the gap is highest for women of color.”

She added, “I want our economy to be one where every worker gets paid fairly for the work they do and can support themselves and their loved ones. This is not too much to ask and should not be controversial — so I’ll keep pushing to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act and other important policies that will support women in the workforce and make sure our economy works for everyone.”

Senator Murray also released a statement supporting President Biden’s announcement of an executive order that asks the Department of Health and Human Services to review the Trump administration’s rule gagging Title X-funded health care providers from discussing abortion.

I’m glad President Biden is moving us closer to finally reversing the Trump Administration’s damaging, ideological gag rule on Title X health care providers,” said Senator Murray. “I’m going to keep pushing to scrap this harmful rule once and for all and ensure patients can get the care they need from providers they trust.”

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