New Data Reinforces Need for Congress to Pass Paycheck Fairness Act

Statement

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) released the following statement today on updated Census Bureau numbers showing that the average woman working full time, year-round made just 79 cents for every dollar earned by a man last year. That is just a one cent increase from the previous figures. The Census Bureau data can be found here.

"Today's Census Bureau report is yet more evidence that the pay gap is real and undeniable, not a distraction, or a product of women's choices. The single biggest economic issue facing American families today is that too many jobs simply do not pay enough to live on. And with women making up two-thirds of breadwinners or co-breadwinners of American households, one of the fastest ways we can put money back in people's pockets is to close the wage gap.

"This is not just a women's issue--the pay gap affects everyone when a woman's diminished paycheck inhibits their ability to put food on the table or gas in their car. And with women typically living longer than men, discriminatory pay practices mean our seniors will continue to struggle, increasing the burden on both their families and taxpayers.

"Congress needs to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act to relieve the financial pressures women face in all stages of their careers. Republicans do American families a great disservice by blocking the legislation, burying their heads in the sand, and claiming it is a myth. Our mothers, our sisters, and our daughters deserve better."

DeLauro is the author of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which she first introduced in 1997, and has reintroduced in every Congress since. The law would put real teeth into the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to ensure women receive equal pay for equal work. The Paycheck Fairness Act would put an end to pay secrecy, strengthen workers' ability to challenge discrimination and bring equal pay law into line with other civil rights laws. President Obama has said he would sign the legislation should it come to his desk.

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