Congresswoman Katherine Clark joined with Democratic Members of Congress and national organizations to reintroduce the Paycheck Fairness Act ten years after the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act by President Barack Obama.
"Women and men doing the same job deserve the same pay—period," said Vice Chair Congresswoman Katherine Clark. "That’s why Congress needs to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act."
"Ten years ago, Congress and President Obama achieved an important victory for women seeking to challenge pay discrimination in court with the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. But it was never intended for that bill to be passed as the only fix for the ongoing pay disparity between men and women," said Lilly Ledbetter. "Women across the country still need the tools in the Paycheck Fairness Act to ensure they get equal pay for equal work. I applaud Congresswoman DeLauro for her leadership in this fight since 1997, as well as Speaker Pelosi for being a tireless advocate and making this a priority in the new Congress. Now is the time to get this done."
Women working full-time, year-round still earn 80 cents, on average, for every dollar earned by men. The Paycheck Fairness Act would strengthen and close loopholes in the Equal Pay Act of 1963 by holding employers accountable for discriminatory practices, ending the practice of pay secrecy, easing workers’ ability to individually or jointly challenge pay discrimination, and strengthening the available remedies for wronged employees. The House legislation has 240 cosponsors (every Democratic Member of the House and one Republican Member) and the Senate legislation has 45 cosponsors.
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