[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 82 (Tuesday, June 11, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E840]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EQUAL PAY ACT

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                          HON. PATRICK MURPHY

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 11, 2013

  Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy signing the Equal Pay Act 
into law on June 10. When he signed it, President Kennedy stated that 
``when women enter the labor force they will find equality in their pay 
envelopes.'' Unfortunately, fifty years later, women are still looking 
for that equality. The recognition of this anniversary serves also as a 
proclamation for Congress to close the wage gap and continue to 
strengthen the economy. Women make up almost half of the American 
workforce and the disparity between men and women's wages needs to be 
recognized and corrected. This isn't just a women's issue--it's a 
family issue, an equality issue, and an economic issue.
  According to the United States Census Bureau's 2011 American 
Community Survey Data, a woman in Florida makes 82.6 cents for every 
dollar a man makes, an African American woman makes 62.4 cents for 
every dollar a white, non-Hispanic man makes and a Hispanic woman makes 
58 cents for every dollar a white, non-Hispanic man makes. My 
commitment to working towards fairness and equality led me to cosponsor 
the Paycheck Fairness Act, which reinforces the Equal Pay Act by 
providing solutions to women who are not being paid equally for 
identical work and protecting employees from retaliation for sharing 
salary information with their co-workers.
  The time is now to strive for wage equality. Recent efforts such as 
the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act have helped propel us forward on a 
path to equality but have not been enough to balance the discrepancy at 
this time. As we look back in time when the Equal Pay Act became law we 
see that fifty years later, women are still not receiving the same 
wages as men for the same work. This is beyond disappointing and should 
no longer be tolerated. As our great nation continues to progress, 
there is no reason why women should not receive equal wages when held 
to the same standard as men.
  Mr. Speaker, on the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act it is clear 
that we still have work to do to end the wage gap and I encourage all 
of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in the fight for 
the enactment of the Paycheck Fairness Act.

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