[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 2, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E922]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 SUPPORTING THE GOALS OF EQUAL PAY DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 2, 2007

  Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of 
ensuring equal pay for equal work for all Americans.
  Since 1963, when President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law, 
women have made significant strides in the workplace. However, there 
continues to be a wage gap, and in 2006, women earned 77 cents for 
every dollar earned by men. A new study by the American Association of 
University Women finds that just 1 year out of college women are 
earning only 80 percent of what men earn, and by 10 years after 
graduation the gap has widened and women are making only 69 percent as 
much as men.
  More than 40 years after the Equal Pay Act was signed into law, a 
woman has to work nearly 16 months to earn an amount equal to the 
amount a man earns in just 12 months. This gap results in $250,000 in 
lost wages over the course of the average woman's life. This wage gap 
not only affects a woman's current income, but often means she will 
have less money available to her in retirement. For women of color the 
pay disparities are even greater--African American women earn 71 
percent and Latinas earn 58 percent of what their male colleagues earn.
  The gender wage gap is not just a women's issue, it is an issue that 
affects the strength of our families and our communities. This is why I 
am a cosponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act to strengthen the Equal Pay 
Act of 1963 to provide for equal rights in pay regardless of a person's 
sex, race or national origin. This legislation should be a priority for 
the 110th Congress.
  It is long past time to close the gender pay gap. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in working to eliminate these unjust pay 
disparities.

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