[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 113 (Monday, July 8, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S4684]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     U.S. WOMEN'S WORLD CUP VICTORY

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, let me congratulate the U.S. Women's 
National Team on winning the World Cup yesterday. It is the second 
title in a row and fourth overall, the most for any nation. Boy, did 
they make us proud.
  The team's sustained level of excellence is something for all of us 
to exult in, to be proud of, as are the heart, skill, and sheer joy the 
U.S. women bring to the pitch. As they make their way home, I send them 
my congratulations, my thanks, and a formal invitation for the team to 
come to the Upper Chamber for a celebration as they visit our Nation's 
Capital. It would be my honor to host America's winning team.
  I want to send a special congratulations to the New Yorkers on the 
team, Allie Long and Crystal Dunn, the latter of whom made a crucial 
tackle in the final, leading to our second and decisive goal in the 
final period. New York is proud of them both, as well as the entire 
roster.
  While today we celebrate their victory, we also recognize that these 
women athletes have challenges and they make us really think about the 
future of women's sports. They make us grapple with the deep unfairness 
in how female athletes are treated and paid compared to their male 
counterparts. Similarly, it is an unfortunate reality that women in the 
workforce see their male colleagues paid significantly more for the 
same work.
  We have come a long way in terms of the prominence of and support for 
women's sports over the past decade, but we have not come nearly far 
enough. Every young girl who has had to play on weeknights instead of 
weekends because that is when the boys play, who has had to accept 
older equipment because the boys got the new stuff, who has had to play 
on the other field or rink or court because the boys were using the 
main one--every girl who has gone through that knows this to be true. 
As a parent of two girls who played soccer, basketball, baseball, and 
lacrosse, I know this to be true.
  I think when it comes to U.S. women, it is absolutely right to be 
talking about their pay right now. They have shone a light on the fact 
that, in our society, women are simply not treated fairly because of 
their gender. Something needs to change here. What the U.S. women did 
was extraordinary, and they deserve to be compensated fairly. All women 
need to be compensated fairly, period. We ought to pay attention to 
this not just once every 4 years during the World Cup, but year in and 
year out.
  How about the equal payment amendment that the House has passed? Why 
don't we put it on the floor of the Senate in honor of the women who 
won the World Cup? Why don't we do that, Leader McConnell?
  I am sure there will be lots of encomia from the other side about 
these women. Let's act so we can help all women achieve equality--equal 
work, equal pay.

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