Pelosi Statement on 59th Anniversary of the Equal Pay Act

Contact: Speaker's Press Office,

202-226-7616

San Francisco – Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement marking the 59th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, signed into law by President Kennedy on June 10, 1963:

"Nearly six decades ago, President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act, enshrining the principle of ‘equal pay for equal work' into federal law. Today, Americans proudly commemorate this momentous step forward in the fight for workplace justice and celebrate the progress of the last 59 years. However, with women still receiving 83 cents for every dollar made by their male colleagues – a gap that is even wider for women of color – we also recognize that the fight for gender equality remains as urgent as ever.

"Democrats understand that closing the gender pay gap is both a moral and economic imperative to unleash the full potential of women in the workforce. That is why the Democratic Congress enacted landmark pay protections through the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first bill that President Obama signed into law. And it is why House Democrats are continuing to lead the charge to remove barriers to prosperity – twice passing Chair Rosa DeLauro's Paycheck Fairness Act to strengthen and modernize the Equal Pay Act.

"In 1944, as women helped power America's economy through World War II, Congresswoman Winifred Stanley introduced one of our nation's first equal pay proposals. At a time of global turmoil, she argued: ‘This battered old universe needs and will need the best brains and ability of both men and women.' As we face the immense challenges of our own era, let us continue fighting to achieve full gender equality so that our nation may draw from the strength and talents of all Americans — because when women succeed, America succeeds."

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