[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 6, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H6012]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PAY DISCRIMINATION
(Mrs. MALONEY of New York asked and was given permission to address
the House for 1 minute.)
Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, last week, the Supreme Court
dealt a serious blow to women pursuing pay discrimination claims.
For the majority of her 20-year career, Lilly Ledbetter was paid less
than her male counterparts, including those with less seniority for
doing the exact same work. By her own calculations, she was now being
shortchanged by about $15,000 annually.
Her experience is, unfortunately, a common one. In the Supreme Court
decision, Ledbetter versus Goodyear Tire, the Court ruled that she had
missed her window of opportunity to file a claim covering the many
years of discrimination she faced.
We need to close this loophole by making every pay period a new
infraction. This way, employees can challenge unfair practices that
persist over time but don't come to light for years later.
Inequality still exists. It is our job to fix it.
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