Boswell Briefing: Recognizing Wage Gap on Equal Pay Day
Statement
Dear Fellow Iowan,
Today marks a very important day -- Equal Pay Day -- a day to reflect on the wage gap between men and women and its impact on our families and our nation's economy.
Equal Pay Day falls on this day to symbolize how far into 2012 women must work to match what men earned in 2011. Currently, a woman earns on average 77 cents to every dollar a man makes in our country. Thankfully, we have made great strides but more must be done to close this significant gap. In 2008, the first bill President Obama signed into law was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which restores the right of women to challenge unfair pay -- legislation I was proud to support but 98 percent of House Republicans voted against.
I also support the Paycheck Fairness Act -- and was an original cosponsor when it was first introduced in the House. The legislation would update the 47-year-old Equal Pay Act by providing more effective remedies to women who are not being paid equal wages for doing equal work. There is overwhelming support for this legislation regardless of party affiliation -- a national poll of registered voters found 84 percent are in favor of such a law.
Equal pay is not simply a women's issue, but a family issue. In fact, women are increasingly more responsible for the economic security of their families. According to the latest census data, over 113,000 Iowa households are headed by women. The wage gap hurts everyone -- husbands, wives, children, and parents -- because it lowers family incomes that pay for essentials, such as groceries, doctors' visits, and child care. When women earn more, an entire family benefits, that's why closing the wage gap must be an integral part of strengthening America's families.
Ensuring that women receive equal pay for equal work is a common-sense issue that affects all working women and their families. By eradicating unfair treatment in the labor market, we can help families gain the resources they need to ensure that their children have access to a better future.
Sincerely,
Leonard L. Boswell
Member of Congress
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