[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 63 (Tuesday, April 28, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S4781]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             EQUAL PAY DAY

  Mr. BURRIS. Mr. President, many of my colleagues and countless 
Americans across the country recognize today as Equal Pay Day, a solemn 
reminder of the enduring wage gap that separates women from men. We 
mark this inequity on a day in late April because it has taken many 
women from January 2008 until now to earn what their male counterparts 
brought home in 2008 alone. This is simply not acceptable. At a time of 
widespread economic uncertainty, the disparity is more troubling than 
ever. We can and must do better.
  In 1963, this body passed the Equal Pay Act which was signed into law 
and represented a triumph for America's workforce. That legislation 
laid the groundwork for significant progress. It established a set of 
principles that declared the United States of America as a nation that 
does not discriminate based on gender. It was an important first step. 
Nearly 50 years have passed since that day.
  It is clear that we have more work to do.
  The Paycheck Fairness Act, which I am proud to cosponsor, would 
update the original Equal Pay Act and bring the law in line with our 
Nation's other important civil rights laws. The Bureau of Labor 
Statistics tells us that in 2007, women with full-time employment 
earned roughly 78 cents for every dollar men earned. This represents 
modest progress compared to 2006, when the ratio stood at slightly less 
than 77 cents on the dollar. Sadly, women of color earn significantly 
less, even when they have the same qualifications as men they work 
alongside. Over the course of a 40-year career, women can lose as much 
as $1 million to the gender age gap. Nationwide that means roughly $200 
billion of lost income every single year. With families across America 
tightening their belts and working harder than ever to make ends meet, 
it would be a serious failure on the part of this Congress to ignore 
this call to action.
  With this in mind, we must move swiftly to pass the Paycheck Fairness 
Act. This comprehensive bill would encourage employers to follow the 
law by creating substantial incentives and strengthening penalties for 
equal pay violations, aligning it more closely with civil rights 
legislation. It would close loopholes. It would prohibit employer 
retaliation, improve Federal outreach, and strengthen enforcement 
efforts. The bill would also draw on a measure already enacted in the 
great State of Illinois to fix the established requirement clarifying 
reasonable points of comparison between employees to determine their 
fair wages. All of this, together with increased training, education, 
and research, means the Paycheck Fairness Act would invigorate the 
landmark equal pay legislation of the 1960s and provide much needed 
updates for the 21st century.

  In all of my years of public life, I have had the privilege of 
witnessing firsthand the progress our Nation has made over the past 
half century. The stubborn barriers of race and gender known to my 
parents' generation have been shattered. Even in my own lifetime, I 
have seen changes few could have imagined. But for all the progress we 
have made, there is still a very long way to go. It is this slow, 
steady march toward our highest aspirations--the active progress of 
perfecting our Union--that defines the shared destiny of all Americans: 
Black and White, male and female, from all walks of life, and every 
corner of the globe.
  The Paycheck Fairness Act represents a concrete step in closing the 
gender wage gap and another powerful stride in the march to equality. 
It is a measure that stands for common sense, good governance, and 
equal opportunity. I am proud to cosponsor the Paycheck Fairness Act, 
and I urge my colleagues to join with me in supporting women in the 
workforce.
  It is my hope we will soon commemorate Equal Pay Day not as a grim 
reminder of the gender pay gap but as a day we took decisive action to 
stop discrimination in its tracks. I ask my colleagues to join me in 
this effort and to adopt the Paycheck Fairness Act without delay.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio.
  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to address the 
Senate for 5 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio is recognized for 5 
minutes without objection.

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