Women Deserve Better

Your Work is Valued
Five years ago, our country took a key step forward on the path to equality in the workplace as President Obama made the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act the first bill he signed into law. As we mark this achievement and celebrate our progress, we know there is more work to do in order to address the economic challenges facing women today.

The President's State of the Union Address focused on some of the core challenges for America's women and families. The initiatives set forth by the President – raising the minimum wage, ensuring paycheck fairness, guaranteeing paid sick leave and providing universal preschool – are the focus of House Democrats' economic agenda for women and families. It is time to empower women in the workforce – because as the President and our agenda proudly proclaims, "When Women Succeed, America Succeeds."

This agenda stands on three pillars:

• Fair pay—raising the minimum wage and ensuring paycheck fairness. Women still make only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men and with women making up nearly two-thirds of those receiving minimum wage, they continue to be disproportionately affected.
  
• Work and family balance—guaranteeing paid family and medical leave. As we work to help employees better balance the demands of work and family, we must also expand and improve the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to allow working parents to meet their needs at home, support their families, and ensure the health and safety of America's workers.
  
• Affordable, quality child care—the lynchpin for a working mother's success in the workplace, The high cost of child care is forcing too many mothers and families to choose between the lesser of two evils: either low-quality child care or forgoing much needed wages for child care needs. We must find ways to provide universal preschool, because we know that when children are learning, families are earning.

This year, Congress must send a powerful message to women across the country: ‘your work is valued'. As House Republicans deliberate their priorities for this year, I hope they will work with the President and Democrats in Congress to provide women with the economic security and opportunities they deserve. By unleashing the power of our nation's women, we will create a brighter future for America's families and strengthen the middle class – the backbone of our democracy.

Gung Hay Fat Choy!
The Lunar New Year marks a time of renewal, remembrance and celebration, as millions of Asian Americans reflect on the year that was and look forward to a Year of the Horse filled with prosperity, opportunity and hope. In the streets of San Francisco and across the country, the vibrancy and strength of our Asian American and Pacific Islander community is on glorious display – reminding us that, as ever, the beauty is in the mix.

Our diversity has always been a great source of our nation's strength. Our founding credo – ‘E Pluribus Unum: out of many, one' – has proved the enduring truth of a history built by generations of men and women of all different races, religions and cultures. We are a nation of immigrants, rejuvenated, enriched, and strengthened by each wave of newcomers to our shores. As a new year begins, we will continue to push for comprehensive immigration reform that honors the pride of our heritage and the possibility of our future.

In the Year of the Horse, may all Americans be blessed with good health, good fortune, and good cheer.