[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 47 (Tuesday, April 3, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E526]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     PAYCHECK EQUITY EQUAL PAY DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MIKE HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 3, 2001

  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, today is a significant day for American 
families. On one hand, it represents injustice, marking the amount of 
time required for a women to earn the same pay as a man: an additional 
three months into the next year. On the other hand, this day marks the 
continuation of an ongoing struggle, the battle for an American ideal: 
Equality.
  Today, I stand in support of working women and the American family. 
Today, I stand in support of equal pay for equal work.
  On Equal Pay Day, we are reminded of the facts in the contemporary 
American workplace:
  The average working woman working full time earns about 76 cents for 
each dollar earned by the average man;
  The median wages of female college graduates fall behind those of 
male college graduates by $14,665;
  This pay disparity applies for all age groups. For example, women 
ages 35-44 earned about 72 cents per dollar and women ages 45-54 earned 
about 70 cents per dollar, compared to men.
  The inequality in pay is not just morally wrong; it renders real harm 
on American families and our national economy. This gender wage gap 
means $4,000 less per American family and over $200 billion less in the 
American economy.
  We need to act now, and that is why I support H.R. 781, ``The 
Paycheck Fairness Act,'' authored by my distinguished colleague, the 
distinguished gentle lady from Connecticut, Rosa DeLauro. This bill 
creates stronger enforcement, greater measurement, and better 
incentives against discrimination in wages based on gender.
  These are the facts, and they challenge our national integrity. They 
challenge our commitment to equal rights and equal treatment. They 
challenge us to action. The majority of Americans support equal pay for 
equal work. It is time for Congress and the President to finally hold 
our nation accountable to the promise and ideals embedded in our 
Constitution.

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