[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 15, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H243]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          JOBS AND THE ECONOMY

  (Mr. VEASEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. VEASEY. Madam Speaker, as we continue on our economic recovery 
and debate about raising the minimum wage for hardworking Americans, I 
want to talk today about raising the standard of living for women in 
America.
  According to the latest BLS report, the monthly job gains were filled 
entirely by women in our country. This may seem like great news, but 
please understand that women's recent gains have been concentrated in 
low-wage sectors, like retail or hospitality. Women still tend to be 
driven away from the manufacturing sector, which, on average, pays 17 
percent higher than non-manufacturing jobs. As a result, the pay gap 
between women and men in our country continues to be an issue.
  Before Republicans deny an extension of unemployment benefits to job-
seeking women everywhere, we need to take a multi-faceted, bipartisan 
approach to solving the pay and job discrepancies. That includes 
increasing access to STEM education for women and getting them more 
interested in these manufacturing careers. We have a manufacturing gap 
in this country that needs to be filled, and women can help do it.

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