Van Hollen Statement on Equal Pay Day

Statement

Today Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following statement on Equal Pay Day:

"It has been 52 years since President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law, but women in Maryland today still earn 14.5 cents less per dollar than men. Nationally, the gender wage gap is nearly 22 cents per dollar. Eliminating this gap is critical to the economic well-being of every American, which is why I've put forward a budget on behalf of House Democrats that supports equal pay for equal work. The fight for equal pay is about fairness and the struggle to preserve the American Dream. The ladder of opportunity should not be higher and steeper for women, nor for children dependent on their mothers' income. That is why I fought for passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and I will continue to fight to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, increase the minimum wage, support women entrepreneurs and small businesses, and break down the barriers that unfairly burden women trying to support their families and get ahead through hard work."

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