Congresswoman Matsui Highlights Equal Pay Day by Calling for Passage of Paycheck Fairness Act

Press Release

Today, as the nation recognizes Equal Pay Day, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-06) called for more to be done to close the wage gap that still exists between women and men -- including passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act. Equal Pay Day symbolizes when, more than three months into the year, women's wages finally catch up to what men were paid in the previous year.

"Equal pay is not simply a question of fairness, it's one of economic security," said Congresswoman Matsui, chair of the Democratic Women's Working Group and a leader in Congress on women's issues. "According to a new report from the National Partnership for Women and Families, women in California earn an average of 83 cents to the dollar of what men make. This discrepancy puts them on a shakier path to economic security, making them less able to pay off student loans, save up for a down payment on a home, or put away for retirement."

During the 114th Congress, Congresswoman Matsui chairs the Democratic Women's Working Group. Consisting of all of the Democratic women Members, the Working Group advocates for legislation that improves the economic security of American women. One of the pillars of this effort is the Paycheck Fairness Act, legislation that strengthens and closes loopholes in the Equal Pay Act of 1963.

Among its many provisions, the Paycheck Fairness Act requires employers to show that pay disparity is truly related to job performance, not gender; strengthens remedies for women experiencing pay discrimination; prohibits employer retaliation for sharing salary information with coworkers; and empowers women in the workplace through a grant program to strengthen salary negotiation and other workplace skills.

"House Democrats will not rest until we pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, and achieve true pay equity for women -- ensuring that all American women in the workforce are receiving equal pay for equal work," added Matsui.

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