Congressman Andrews Commemorates Equal Pay Legislation, Fights for Equal Rights

Press Release

Last week, Congressman Andrews announced that the nation would mark the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act. President John F. Kennedy signed this bill into law June 10th, 1963 with the goal of closing the pay gap between men and women. Congressman Andrews joined with fellow lawmakers in applauding the efforts of their predecessors to bring equality into the American workplace. Past legislation has made progress, but there is still work to be done.

Congressman Andrews recently signed on as a co-sponsor of legislation recognizing the significance of Equal Pay Day. Although the United States has come a long way since the Equal Pay Act was signed, the Census Bureau estimates that full-time working women still make only seventy-seven cents to every dollar made by men. The gap is even larger with African Americans and Latinas. By co-sponsoring this legislation, the Congressman hopes to show the American people that the fight for equal pay is far from over. Equal Pay Day, along with the commemoration of the Equal Pay Act, will raise awareness about the gender pay gap.

"Forty hours of work is forty hours of work, regardless of who is doing it," Congressman Andrews said. "American men and women work hard, and they expect -- rightly so -- to be paid fairly for their work."

Congressman Andrews has long been a supporter of equal pay. He is sponsoring legislation that would remove the deadline to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. This amendment, known as the ERA, would change the Constitution, making it illegal to pay men and women differently for the same work. As a proud father of two daughters, Congressman Andrews believes all Americans should be paid fairly for an honest day's work and opposes any deadline that would deprive equal pay to millions of hardworking women.

Source