[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 48 (Wednesday, March 26, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H2660]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH AND WOMEN'S ECONOMIC AGENDA
(Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ asked and was given permission to address the
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Women's
History Month.
March is the time to honor our foremothers by recommitting to the
fight for complete equality between the sexes. Democrats know that the
biggest challenge to attaining complete equality is through economic
justice. My daughters are growing up in an America where women still
make just 77 cents to every man's dollar. This wage discrimination is
compounded even further when you consider that women also represent
nearly two-thirds of minimum wage workers and that they often have jobs
with no sick leave. If women have to choose between their jobs and
their families, clearly, we still have a lot of work to do.
First, we must extend unemployment benefits. Women struggling to find
work need that bridge to help pay the bills while they look for work.
We must also increase the minimum wage, fight wage discrimination by
passing the Paycheck Fairness Act, and extend paid family and medical
leave to all women by passing the FAMILY Act.
This agenda is the perfect way to celebrate Women's History Month and
to honor all Americans who have fought for equality and fairness. As
President Obama said, ``When women succeed, America succeeds.''
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