Women's History Month

Floor Speech

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, 42 years ago, Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment to guarantee equal rights for American women. Although we have made progress leveling the playing field, we still have a ways to go.

Women earn more advanced degrees and make up half of our national workforce, but the return on their educational investment doesn't come close to their male counterparts. Women still earn 77 cents to the dollar men earn and are working lower wage jobs in a time when their families are becoming more dependent on their salaries.

I am working to balance the inequities that disadvantage American women and, consequently, their families. I cosponsored House Joint Resolution 56, the constitutional proposal for an equal rights amendment, and I supported the Paycheck Fairness and Fair Minimum Wage Acts. These bills are good for working women and good for their families.

Today, I urge my colleagues to stand up for the many unemployed women and impacted families in their districts by passing an unemployment insurance extension immediately.

Let's honor Women's History Month by supporting fair wages for all, promoting equal treatment under our laws, and by supporting vulnerable women by extending safety net benefits like unemployment insurance.

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