[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 19 (Wednesday, January 30, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E108]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IN SUPPORT OF PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 30, 2019

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I am proud to be a sponsor of the 
Paycheck Fairness Act.
  This Act is needed to stop discriminatory practices by employers 
against our mothers, wives, daughters, and granddaughters that do the 
same job as their male counterparts.
  It is sad that today in America, women working full-time, year-round 
still earn 80 cents, on average, for every dollar earned by men.
  Women of color face the brunt of the inequality, with African 
American women earning 61 cents, Latinas earning 53 cents, and Native 
Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women earning 62 cents compared with 
white, non-Hispanic men.
  This year marks the 10-year anniversary of President Barack Obama 
signing the Lily Ledbetter Act, which made it easier to sue in cases of 
pay discrimination.
  This legislation that we are discussing today--the Paycheck Fairness 
Act--is but one small step towards that end.
  The Paycheck Fairness Act, will strengthen the Equal Pay Act--passed 
more than 45 years ago--and as a result improve the law's 
effectiveness, and help to address the persistent wage gap between men 
and women.
  The Paycheck Fairness Act would:
  Clarify acceptable reasons for differences in pay by requiring 
employers to demonstrate that wage gaps between men and women doing the 
same work are truly a result of factors other than sex.
  Deter wage discrimination by strengthening penalties for equal pay 
violations, and by prohibiting retaliation against workers who inquire 
about employers' wage practices or disclose their own wages.
  The bill's approach would ensure that women can obtain the same 
remedies as those subject to discrimination on the basis of race or 
national origin.
  Provide women with a fair option to proceed in a class action suit 
under the Equal Pay Act, and allow women to receive punitive and 
compensatory damages for pay discrimination.
  Clarify the establishment provision under the Equal Pay Act, which 
would allow for reasonable comparisons between employees to determine 
fair wages.
  Authorize additional training for Equal Employment Opportunity 
Commission staff to better identify and handle wage disputes.
  It will aid in the efficient and effective enforcement of federal 
anti-pay discrimination laws by requiring the EEOC to develop 
regulations directing employers to collect wage data, reported by the 
race, sex, and national origin of employees.
  It will require the U.S. Department of Labor to reinstate activities 
that promote equal pay, such as: directing educational programs, 
providing technical assistance to employers, recognizing businesses 
that address the wage gap, collecting wage-related data, and conducting 
and promoting research about pay disparities between men and women.
  More importantly for our young ladies going into the workforce it 
will establish a competitive grant program to develop salary 
negotiation training for women and girls.
  As a Member of the Women's Caucus I have been fighting for pay equity 
for American women since before I arrived here as a Representative in 
1995, and I believe that equal pay for equal work is a simple matter of 
justice.
  Wage disparities are not simply a result of women's education levels 
or life choices.
  In fact, the pay gap between college educated men and women appears 
first after college--even when women are working full-time in the same 
fields with the same major as men--and continues to widen during the 
first 10 years in the workforce.
  Further, this persistent wage gap not only impacts the economic 
security of women and their families today, it also directly affects 
women's retirement security tomorrow.
  Now is the time for additional proactive measures to effectively 
address wage discrimination and eliminate loopholes that have hindered 
the Equal Pay Act's effectiveness.
  I urge my colleagues, both men and women to support equality in 
rights and pay for all Americans by supporting the Paycheck Fairness 
Act.

                          ____________________