[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 47 (Wednesday, April 10, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E407]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             EQUAL PAY DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 10, 2013

  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, women played a 
tremendous role in the 2012 elections--including fighting for equal 
pay. Today, we commemorate Equal Pay Day, the time typically three 
months into the new year that it takes for women's wages to catch up to 
what men were paid in the previous year. This is an annual reminder 
that the wallets of America's women are not as heavy as they should be 
because women face pay discrimination. Even when accounting for 
education, industry, and hours worked there remains a wage gap.
  Women's lifetime earnings will never recover from the persistent 
reduction in wages they receive relative to their male counterparts. 
Nationwide, women make 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man. While 
these sound like pennies, in fact they add up to a yearly gap of 
$11,084 between full-time working men and women. This decrease in take 
home pay affects not just women but also their families.
  In New York City, which I'm proud to represent, women who work full 
time are paid 85 cents for every dollar paid to men who work full time, 
adding up to a yearly gap of $8,429. As a result, New York City's women 
collectively lose more than $23 million a year because of the wage gap. 
This is simply unacceptable for working women and their families in New 
York and nationwide.
  In the 111th Congress, I was proud to serve as the first female Chair 
of the Joint Economic Committee. At the end of my tenure I issued the 
report, ``Invest in Women, Invest in America: A Comprehensive Review of 
Women in the U.S. Economy.'' This comprehensive report included 
research done by the Committee, testimony from several hearings, and 
GAO reports assessing the detrimental gender wage gap for part-time 
workers and older Americans as well as wider discussions of women's 
continued under-representation in management level positions. As I said 
in that report, ``The decisions we make today will have dramatic 
impacts on our nation's future economic well-being, and we must 
carefully consider what those decisions will mean for women, both as 
consumers and as producers.''
  There is a remedy to this persistent problem of unequal pay. I have 
consistently supported the Paycheck Fairness Act, commonsense 
legislation that gives women the tools to fight wage discrimination and 
provides stronger workplace protections for working women. This 
Congress must stand up for working families and provide for the basic 
rights and fairness of 51 percent of the U.S. population.

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