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Statement

Speedy Passage of Paycheck Fairness Act Should Be High Priority for the New Congress

January 30, 2019
Workplace Justice, Equal Pay

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Statement from leaders of MomsRising, an online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on the introduction of the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 7) in the House of Representatives today:

“No woman should be shortchanged on her paycheck because of her gender or race – but, in fact, that happens to millions of women and moms right here in the United States every single day. The gap between the wages paid to women of color and moms and those paid to white men and dads is huge, punitive and shameful. Right now in this country, Latinas are paid just 53 cents, Native American women 58 cents, Black women 61 cents, and Asian women 85 cents for every dollar paid to white men. Moms are typically paid just 69 cents for every dollar paid to dads. Overall, women in this country make just 80 cents to a man’s dollar.

“We simply must address the wage gap, which is causing grave and lasting damage to women, families, our economy and our country. The Paycheck Fairness Act will help eliminate the bias and discriminatory practices that are driving down women’s wages and forcing too many hard-working families into poverty. We need Congress to pass this essential bill, to increase pay transparency and strengthen penalties for wage discrimination. More than 50 years after the Equal Pay Act became law, and a decade after enactment of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, Congress must take the next step. America’s moms want and expect the new Congress to make speedy passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act a top priority.”

--Statement of Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director and CEO, MomsRising

 “We welcome today’s introduction of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would go a long way toward eliminating the wage gap, giving everyone a chance to succeed and strengthening our economy by boosting working families. This essential legislation would: deter wage discrimination by strengthening penalties for equal pay violations and by prohibiting retaliation against workers who ask about employers’ wage practices or disclose their own wages; empower women to negotiate for equal pay; strengthen federal outreach, education and enforcement efforts; and create stronger incentives for employers to follow the law.

“We also need family-friendly workplace policies – including paid family and medical leave, earned sick days, affordable child care and a living wage – to help close the wage gap and boost our economy.

“America’s moms are looking to the most female, most diverse Congress in history to pass this essential bill. We won’t wait any longer for the fair wages we deserve.”

--Statement of Ruth Martin, Vice President, Workplace Justice Campaigns, MomsRising

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.