[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 97 (Thursday, June 27, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1205]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      LEGISLATIVE PAY EQUITY STUDY

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CONSTANCE A. MORELLA

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 27, 1996

  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, as cochair of the Congressional Caucus for 
Women's Issues, I am introducing legislation to institute a Legislative 
Pay Equity Study. As part of the Economic Equity Act, this bill will be 
one of a package of bills to promote economic equity for women to be 
introduced by the Caucus in July.
  Fifty years have passed since women were found to earn 65 percent of 
men's wages in 1946. Neither time nor legislation was dramatically 
improved this inequity: In 1991, women were still found to earn 70 
cents for every dollar men earned. During the nearly five decades that 
passed between those two studies, many women have moved into 
traditionally male-dominated professions in the work force. Yet their 
salaries remain significantly lower than those of men--even though 
women often do the same work as their male counterparts.
  The Equal Pay Act was passed in 1963 in order to prevent just such 
discrimination toward women. Calling for equal pay for equal work, this 
law made it illegal for women to earn less than men for the same labor. 
Unfortunately, pay inequity persists. One reason is that women often do 
different work than men, making it possible for employers to pay 
unequal salaries for theoretically unequal work. Even the 1964 Civil 
Rights Act, which promised to end discrimination based on gender, race, 
or ethnicity, failed to bring an end to wage discrimination. It is 
evident that our laws have not achieved equality in the work force.
  I am introducing this bill today in order to end wage discrimination 
within the legislative branch and to better understand why women remain 
consistently underpaid in comparison to men. With this information, 
recommendations could be made as to how workers within the legislative 
branch could be more equitably paid. This bill is identical to the 
legislation introduced in earlier Congresses by Senator Olympia Snowe.
  My proposed legislation would create a bipartisan commission to 
determine if the salaries of the employees of the legislative branch 
correspond to the actual work they do. Having studied the compensation 
within and between job classifications as well as personnel policies, 
an independent consultant could determine whether they comply with 
title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII states that equal 
work as well as work of equal value should be equally compensated. With 
this information, recommendations could be made by the commission to 
apply title VII to the entire legislative branch. It is my hope that 
the changes made in the legislative branch would inspire and instigate 
changes to be made in the entire nation's work force.
  At a time when there is a continuing concern over the small number of 
women employed in the fields of math, science, and athletics, it is 
imperative that it not be forgotten that women's wages still remain 
below those of men. When women are confident that their salaries will 
correspond to their work, they will no longer be hesitant to enter 
professions traditionally dominated men. I invite you to join me in 
supporting this legislation so that women will have the freedom to 
choose their career knowing that they will bring home the wage that 
they deserve.

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