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Statement

Statement of Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner Executive Director, MomsRising on President Obama’s Signing of Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

January 29, 2009
Equal Pay

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

It was with great pride and great joy that I attended today’s Presidential signing ceremony of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. As someone once said famously, “it’s been a long time coming,” but now federal law ensures that employees are able to seek redress if they learn that they have been discriminated against in pay because of their gender, race or ethnicity.
 
Many years ago, Lilly Ledbetter bravely stood up to a major corporation and fought for the rights of workers all across this country to fight pay discrimination. And today, by making this the very first bill he signed into law, President Barack Obama showed us that he is acting on the promises he made in his campaign. This law is a signal to people all across this country that pay discrimination will not be tolerated and now employees have the right and the ability to fight it.
 
MomsRising.org’s members worked hard to help pass this legislation. They signed petitions, sent letters and even met with U.S. Senators’ offices to urge passage of the bill. Today, we are proud to see our efforts rewarded and we recommit to fighting for the range of family-friendly policies this country needs.
 

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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.