Pelosi: 'On Equal Pay Day, We Stand Up for Fundamental Fairness for America’s Working Women and Families'

Contact: Nadeam Elshami/Drew Hammill, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. — Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today on Equal Pay Day, which marks how far into the year a woman must work, on average, to earn as much as a man earned the previous year. The Leader is an original co-sponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which passed the House last Congress and Rep. Rosa DeLauro reintroduced today.

"Equal Pay Day is an opportunity to honor America’s working women, to reaffirm our belief in equal pay for equal work, and to renew our effort to bring fairness and equality to the workplace.

"Last Congress, we made equal pay a key priority for our economic recovery and a marker of our progress as a nation. In passing the Lilly Ledbetter Act — the first bill President Obama signed into law — we restored the right of women and other workers to challenge unfair pay in court. With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, we put an end to higher rates based on gender, and no longer is being a woman a pre-existing medical condition.

"But with women still earning just 77 cents for every dollar men make, we know there is a long way to go. And in this time of great economic challenge, that difference in pay makes a big difference for families.

“That is why I am proud to join my colleagues as an original co-sponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro reintroduced in the House today. This legislation closes loopholes in the Equal Pay Act and imposes stiff penalties on employers who discriminate based on gender. We look forward to working with the Senate to complete this bill, which the House passed last Congress, and to send it to the President’s desk.

"When a girl is given the opportunity and the training to compete, we build stronger leaders for tomorrow. When a mother is rewarded for a hard day’s work, families grow stronger. When a woman is paid fairly, we move one step closer to living up to our nation’s goal of equality. On this Equal Pay Day, we recommit ourselves to equality and to opening the doors of opportunity for all of America’s women."