[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 58 (Thursday, April 22, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E633]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                             EQUAL PAY DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. AL GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 22, 2010

  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, Tuesday, April 20, 2010 marked 
the observance of National Equal Pay Day--a time to celebrate the women 
who have blazed trails for gender equality, reflect on the progress 
that has been made since the Equal Pay Act and recommit ourselves to 
closing the wage gap between women and men.
  When the Equal Pay Act became law in 1963, women who worked full-
time, year-round made 59 cents on average for every dollar earned by 
men. That figure only went up to 77 cents for every dollar earned by 
men in 2008. It is unconscionable that more than 40 years later, women 
continue to be paid less for performing the same job as their male 
colleagues. Equal Pay Day reminds us of the need to recommit to ending 
the injustice of wage discrimination.
  Last year, one of the first major bills signed into law by President 
Obama in January 2009, was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act which 
restores the right of women and other minorities to challenge unfair 
pay in court. Specifically, the bill overturned a 2007 Supreme Court 
decision that made it much harder for women and other minority groups 
to pursue pay discrimination claims. As long as workers file their 
charges within 180 days of a discriminatory paycheck, their claims for 
a remedy will be considered timely.
  In January 2009, the House of Representatives also passed the 
Paycheck Fairness Act which closes the loopholes in the Equal Pay Act 
and imposes penalties on employers who discriminate based on gender. We 
look forward to working with the Senate to complete this bill and send 
it to the President's desk.
  Pay inequity is not just an issue that impacts women; families, 
communities, and our entire economy suffer because of this injustice. 
Our Nation is still recovering from an economic recession and thousands 
of Americans continue to struggle to make ends meet. We should not 
allow pay inequity to exacerbate our economic challenges.
  Let us reaffirm our commitment to eliminating this inequality so that 
we can truly achieve equal pay for equal work.

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