PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT -- (House of Representatives - January 09, 2009)
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Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 12, the Paycheck Fairness Act. I want to commend our colleague ROSA DELAURO for her stellar work on this legislation and thank our leadership for making sure that this bill is one of the first we are considering in our new Congress. I am thrilled, and I know it is a testament to our commitment to equality for all.
H.R. 12 closes existing loopholes that otherwise prevent employees from recouping deserved wages. Existing law allows employers to use a myriad of excuses to justify a pay disparity between men and women. This is true even if the excuse has nothing to do with the job itself. Furthermore, women cannot always safely discuss salaries with their coworkers to determine if there is discrimination occurring for fear of retaliation from their employers. The Paycheck Fairness Act will ensure that women can safely discuss wages with other workers and modernize the law so that companies must show more proof that pay disparities did not occur because of gender.
I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this important legislation to ensure a better economic future for all American women.
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