Marking Equal Pay Day, Rangel Calls For Enactment of the Paycheck Fairness Act

Statement

Marking Equal Pay Day on April 9, Congressman Charles B. Rangel said that more needs to be done to close the wage gap that still exists between women and men -- including enactment of the critical 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.

"According to a new report from the American Association of University Women, the women in the state of New York still earn only 84 cents for every dollar earned by men" stated Rangel. "And nationwide women earn only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men, despite the fact that the Equal Pay Act will mark its 50th anniversary in June."

"Equal pay is not simply a woman's issue -- it's a family issue," Rangel added. "Families increasingly rely on women's wages to make ends meet. When women bring home less money each day, it means they have less for the everyday needs of their families -- groceries, rent, child care, doctors' visits."

Achieving equal pay for women has been one of the top priorities of Democrats. In January 2009, the Democratic-led 111th Congress sent to the President's desk the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act -- and it became the first bill signed into law by President Barack Obama. This Act, a great victory for women, restores the right of women to challenge unfair pay in court -- but virtually all House Republicans opposed this critical measure for women.

"Although the Lilly Ledbetter Act has been enacted, we need to do more," Rangel said. "The Paycheck Fairness Act is equally important. The Paycheck Fairness Act strengthens and closes loopholes in the nearly 50-year-old Equal Pay Act, including providing effective remedies to women who are not being paid equal wages for doing equal work. But once again, Republicans have continued to stand in the way of progress for women and their families."

Democrats have worked to enact the Paycheck Fairness Act for years. In 2008 and again in 2009, the Democratic-led House succeeded in passing the bill, but in both Congresses, Senate Republicans blocked the measure. Similarly, in 2012, Republicans in both the House and Senate voted to block the bill.

"In 2013, it's time for Republicans to finally stand up for America's women and help pass the critical Paycheck Fairness Act. In order to strengthen the American family and ensure fairness in the workplace, we strive to make America where women are truly paid equal pay for equal work," concluded Rangel.

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