[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 462 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 462

  Urging the United States Soccer Federation to immediately eliminate 
 gender pay inequity and treat all athletes with the same respect and 
                                dignity.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 12, 2016

Mrs. Murray (for herself, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Casey, Mr. Blumenthal, Mrs. 
   Shaheen, Mr. Leahy, Mrs. Boxer, Ms. Warren, Mrs. Feinstein, Mrs. 
   Gillibrand, Mr. Brown, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Markey, Ms. 
Hirono, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Reid, and Mr. Carper) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 
                          Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Urging the United States Soccer Federation to immediately eliminate 
 gender pay inequity and treat all athletes with the same respect and 
                                dignity.

Whereas title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) 
        (referred to in this preamble as ``title IX'') requires schools and 
        institutions of higher education to provide the same opportunities for 
        girls that the schools and institutions of higher education provide for 
        boys;
Whereas 6 years after the date of enactment of title IX, the approximate 
        percentage of girls playing team sports increased from 4 percent to 25 
        percent, a sixfold increase;
Whereas the participation of girls in club soccer in the United States increased 
        by approximately 37 percent between 1995 and 2015;
Whereas the participation of girls in high school soccer programs increased by 
        approximately 45 percent between 1999 and 2014;
Whereas the participation of girls in team sports results in lifelong 
        improvements to the educational, work, and health prospects of the 
        girls;
Whereas the United States Soccer Federation is the governing body of soccer in 
        all forms in the United States and endeavors to make soccer a preeminent 
        sport in the United States;
Whereas the United States Women's National Team has won 3 Federation 
        Internationale de Football Association (commonly referred to as 
        ``FIFA'') Women's World Cups, 4 Olympic Gold Medals, and 7 Confederation 
        of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football (commonly 
        referred to as ``CONCACAF'') Gold Cups;
Whereas the United States Women's National Team is ranked first in the world as 
        of the date of adoption of this resolution;
Whereas the 2015 final Women's World Cup match generated an audience of 
        approximately 750,000,000 viewers worldwide and more than 25,000,000 
        viewers in the United States, the largest audience of any soccer game 
        shown in the United States on English language television;
Whereas the members of the United States Women's National Team are some of the 
        most visible athletes in the world and serve as an inspiration and as 
        role models to young athletes across the United States and worldwide;
Whereas the members of the United States Women's National Team, despite the 
        international success of the members, are consistently paid less than 
        similarly situated members of the United States Men's National Team for 
        doing the same job, regardless of the performance of the teams;
Whereas a woman in 1963 was paid on average only 59 cents for each dollar paid 
        to a male counterpart;
Whereas, in 1963, Congress passed and President Kennedy signed the landmark 
        Equal Pay Act of 1963 (29 U.S.C. 201 note; Public Law 88-38) (referred 
        to in this preamble as the ``Equal Pay Act''), unequivocally affirming 
        that women deserve equal pay for equal work;
Whereas the enactment of the Equal Pay Act laid the groundwork for title VII of 
        the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq.) and title IX, 
        which together vastly expanded opportunities for girls and women at 
        school and work;
Whereas the pay disparities suffered by the members of the United States Women's 
        National Team are reflective of the reality of many women in the United 
        States who, more than 50 years after the enactment of the Equal Pay Act, 
        still make on average only 79 cents for each dollar made by a male 
        counterpart;
Whereas those pay disparities exist in both the private and the public sectors 
        and, in many instances, the pay disparities can only be due to continued 
        intentional discrimination or the lingering effects of past 
        discrimination;
Whereas unequal pay on the basis of gender tells women and girls that, whether 
        on the soccer field or in the office, the hard work of the women or 
        girls is not valued equally to that of male counterparts;
Whereas unequal pay on the basis of gender violates generally held beliefs 
        regarding equality and fundamental fairness;
Whereas the wage gap equals approximately $10,762 less per year in median 
        earnings for women and their families compared to men;
Whereas, compared to the earnings of White, non-Hispanic men, women on average 
        face a lifetime wage gap of $430,480, African-American women on average 
        face a lifetime wage gap of $877,480, and Latinas on average face a 
        lifetime wage gap of $1,007,080; and
Whereas unequal pay on the basis of gender threatens the economic security of 
        women and their families while the women are in the workforce and the 
        retirement security of women after the women have left the workforce: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) urges the United States Soccer Federation to 
        immediately end gender pay inequity and to treat all athletes 
        with the respect and dignity those athletes deserve;
            (2) supports an end to pay discrimination based on gender 
        and the strengthening of equal pay protections; and
            (3) instructs the Secretary of the Senate to submit a copy 
        of this resolution to the United States Soccer Federation.
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