[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 22, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E680]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             EQUAL PAY DAY

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                         HON. CIRO D. RODRIGUEZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 22, 2008

  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Madam Speaker, I am honored to rise here today to 
recognize Tuesday, April 22, 2008, as Equal Pay Day. National and 
community organizations alike make this a national day of action to 
promote equal pay for women and minorities. It is a day to recognize 
the wage gap that exists between men and women and offer solutions that 
will address and remedy this economic injustice.
  It is no accident that a Tuesday in April is chosen as the day in 
which we recognize income inequality. April symbolizes the month when 
women's wages catch up to men's wages from the previous year and 
Tuesday represents the day on which women's wages equal men's wages 
from the previous week. According to 2007 statistics by the United 
States Census Bureau, on average women are paid 77 cents for every 
dollar that their male counterparts earn. For a country where 46 
percent of its workforce is female, this is unacceptable.
  It is clear that we are not moving fast enough in promoting pay 
equality. Some reports estimate that if we continue at the current 
pace, the wage gap will not be closed until 2057. That is far too long 
for this discrimination to continue. We must promote all efforts to 
encourage employers to pay women fairly, educate women on negotiating 
appropriate salaries, and enforce current equal pay legislation.
  It is imperative that we protect every American's right to earn a 
fair wage based solely on qualifications and performance. There is no 
room in the American workforce for perpetuating gender and race 
stereotypes. By eliminating pay discrimination we will be ensuring that 
we will have the best and most productive workforce.
  I applaud all Americans who participate in and support Equal Pay Day. 
The first step in correcting this inequity is by alerting others it 
exists. It is my hope that together we can do this and ultimately be 
the catalyst for change.

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