[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 6, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H6013]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PAY DISCRIMINATION MUST BE CORRECTED
(Mrs. CAPPS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I voice my deep disappointment with the
recent Supreme Court decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tires.
Women, on average, are paid less than their male counterparts. For
women of color, the pay is much less. Unless you can look me in the eye
and say that women are less intelligent, less capable than their male
counterparts in the same fields, the most glaring explanation for this
discrepancy is discrimination.
We have made great strides in working to equalize wages for all
Americans regardless of gender, race or age. But the decision last week
to limit a worker's available recourse in the face of discrimination is
a setback to all of our civil rights, and reminds us of how far we
still have to go.
Now we must mobilize. To fix this disparity, we must move forward and
correct the law so this misinterpretation will never occur again. I
urge my colleagues to support a legislative remedy to preserve a
worker's right to be compensated for discrimination.
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