[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 38 (Tuesday, March 6, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2699-S2700]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. CLINTON (for herself, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Harkin, Mrs. 
        Boxer, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Feingold, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. 
        Leahy, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Mikulski, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Reed, Mr. 
        Reid, and Mr. Schumer):
  S. 766. A bill to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to 
provide more effective remedies of victims of discrimination in the 
payment of wages on the basis of sex, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I rise today to reintroduce the Paycheck 
Fairness Act in recognition of Women's History Month. I'd like to thank 
my colleagues Senators Kennedy, Harkin, Boxer, Cantwell, Dodd, 
Feingold, Klobuchar, Leahy, Menendez, Mikulski, Murray, Reed, Reid and 
Schumer for joining me in reintroducing this legislation to prevent, 
regulate and reduce pay discrimination for women across the country. I 
also want to acknowledge Congresswoman DeLauro for being the champion 
of this legislation in the House of Representatives.
  As America celebrates Women's History Month, it's important that we 
not only take pride in how far women have come in our lifetime, but 
also recognize the work we must continue to achieve true pay equity in 
this country. Over the past four decades, we have made tremendous 
strides in closing the wage gap between women and men. But research 
still shows us that pay discrimination continues to result in women 
earning less than men for performing the same job.
  Today, women working full time, year-round, still make only 77 cents 
for every dollar that a man makes--meaning that for every $100 she 
earns, a typical woman has $23 less to spend on groceries, housing, 
child care, or other expenses. Women of color fare even worse: African-
American women earn only 67 cents, and Latinas only 56 cents, for every 
$1.00 earned by white men.
  Just two weeks ago, the Wall Street Journal published an article 
entitled ``Women Post Job Gains, Data Show.'' The article showcased 
proof of progress over the past decade. From the year 2000 through 
2005, women posted a net increase of 1.7 million jobs paying above the 
median salary, while men gained a net increase of just over 220,000 of 
such positions, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The issue 
of the wage gap, however, continues to affect women workers. In 2005, 
the median weekly pay for women

[[Page S2700]]

was $486, or 73 percent of that for men--$663.
  While we often associate the pay wage with low-paying jobs, this 
inequity is not exclusive to the lower class. The New York Times 
recently reported that Wimbledon has finally agreed to pay its women 
tennis champions the same amount of prize money as their male 
counterparts. Last year's men's champion received $1.170 million, while 
the tournament's women's winner got $1.117 million.
  That is why I am pleased to be introducing the Paycheck Fairness 
Act--a bill that will build on the promise of the Equal Pay Act and 
help close the pay gap.
  The Paycheck Fairness Act has three main components.
  First, it prevents pay discrimination before it starts. By helping 
women strengthen their negotiation skills and providing outreach and 
technical assistance to employers to ensure they fairly evaluate and 
pay their employees, the Paycheck Fairness Act gives employers the 
tools they need to level the playing field between men and women.
  Second, the Paycheck Fairness Act creates strong penalties to punish 
those who do violate the act. By strengthening the penalties for 
employers who violate the Equal Pay Act, this bill sends a strong 
message--Equal Pay is a matter to be taken seriously.
  And finally, the Paycheck Fairness Act ensures that the Federal 
Government, which should be a model employer when it comes to enforcing 
Federal employment laws, uses every tool in its toolbox to ensure that 
women are paid the same amount as men for doing the same jobs.
  There is no question that we have come a long way since the Equal Pay 
Act became law 44 years ago. But we still have a lot of work to do.
  According to the National Committee on Pay Equity, working women 
stand to lose $250,000 over the course of their career because of 
unequal pay practices--a difference in pay that cannot be fully 
explained by experience, education, or other qualifications. And the 
pay gap follows women into retirement: unmarried women in the workforce 
today will receive, on average, about $8,000 per year less in 
retirement income than their male counterparts. As a result, millions 
of American families lose out because equal pay is still not a reality.
  It is my hope that many more of my colleagues will join me in 
recognizing this is more than a women's issue--it is a family issue. It 
is in all of our interests to allow women to support their families and 
to live with the dignity and respect accorded to fully engaged members 
of the workforce.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, one of the most profound economic shifts 
of the past century has been the entry of women into the workforce in 
tremendous numbers. In 1900, women made up only 18.4 percent of the 
working population. Today, more than 46 percent of the workers who 
claim a paycheck each week are women.
  Unfortunately, while America's women are working harder than ever, 
they are not being fairly compensated for their contributions to our 
economy.
  Discrimination against women continues to be prevalent in the 
workplace. Women earn about 77 cents for each dollar earned by men, and 
the gap is even greater for women of color. In 2004, African-American 
women earned only 67 percent of the earnings of White men, and Hispanic 
women earned only 56 percent.
  Unfortunately, the problem is not getting better. The current wage 
gap of 23 cents is the same gap that existed in 2002. Since 1963, when 
the Equal Pay Act was passed, the wage gap has narrowed by less than 
half of a penny a year.
  While many argue that this persistent pay gap is a consequence of 
women's choosing to take time out of the workforce, the evidence shows 
that other factors, including discrimination, are a significant cause. 
In 2004, the Census Bureau concluded that the substantial gap in 
earnings between men and women could not completely be explained by 
differences in education, tenure in the workforce, or occupation. 
Similarly, a recent General Accounting Office report concluded that the 
difference in men and women's working patterns does not explain the 
entire disparity in their wages. Discrimination plays a significant 
role as well.
  It is appalling and unacceptable that such discrimination still 
exists in America, and we need to combat it with Federal legislation. 
The issue is simple fairness, and Congress needs to act.
  I am proud to join with Senator Clinton and Senator Harkin in 
introducing the Paycheck Fairness Act today. This important legislation 
will give America's working women the tools they need to fight for fair 
pay. It will make sure our fair pay laws apply to everyone, and it will 
strengthen the penalties for employers that are not playing by the 
rules.
  These important reforms are long overdue. I urge my colleagues to 
stand up for working women and end wage discrimination by passing the 
Paycheck Fairness Act.
                                 ______