[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 113 (Tuesday, July 9, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4271-S4272]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 37--RECOGNIZING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF EQUAL 
     PAY AND THE DISPARITY IN WAGES PAID TO MEN AND TO BLACK WOMEN

  Mr. WARNOCK (for himself, Ms. Butler, and Mr. Booker) submitted the 
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:

                            S. Con. Res. 37

       Whereas, July 9, 2024, is Black Women's Equal Pay Day, 
     which marks the day that symbolizes how long into 2024 Black 
     women must work to make what White, non-Hispanic men were 
     paid in 2023;
       Whereas section 6(d) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 
     1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(d)) prohibits discrimination in 
     compensation for equal work on the basis of sex;
       Whereas title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 
     U.S.C. 2000e et seq.) prohibits discrimination in 
     compensation because of race, color, religion, national 
     origin, or sex;
       Whereas, despite the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 
     (29 U.S.C. 206 note) 6 decades ago, which requires that men 
     and women in the same workplace be given equal pay for equal 
     work, Census Bureau data show that Black women working full 
     time, year round, are paid 69 cents for every dollar that is 
     paid to White, non-Hispanic men;
       Whereas, when part-time and part-year workers are included 
     in the comparison, Black women are paid 66 cents for every 
     dollar that is paid to White, non-Hispanic men;
       Whereas, if the current trends continue, on average, Black 
     women will have to wait over 100 years to achieve equal pay;
       Whereas the median annual pay for a Black woman in the 
     United States working full time, year round, is $49,480, 
     which means that, if the current wage gap were to continue, 
     the average Black woman would lose nearly $884,800 in 
     potential earnings to the wage gap over the course of a 40-
     year career;
       Whereas lost wages mean Black women have less money to 
     support themselves and their families, save and invest for 
     the future, and spend on goods and services, causing 
     businesses and the economy to suffer;
       Whereas Black women's median earnings are less than men's 
     median earnings at every level of academic achievement;
       Whereas Black women with bachelor's and master's degrees 
     experience a higher wage gap in comparison with White, non-
     Hispanic men than in comparison with Black women with a high 
     school diploma;
       Whereas, in the United States, more than 68 percent of 
     Black mothers are the sole or primary breadwinners for their 
     families, compared to just more than one-third of non-
     Hispanic White mothers;
       Whereas the lack of access to affordable, quality 
     childcare, paid family and medical leave, paid sick leave, 
     and other family-friendly workplace policies contributes to 
     the wage gap by forcing many Black women to choose between 
     having a job and getting quality care for themselves or their 
     family members;
       Whereas if the wage gap were eliminated, on average, a 
     Black woman working full time would have enough money for 
     more than 2 additional years of tuition and fees for a 4-year 
     public university; the full cost of tuition and fees for a 
     public 2-year community college; more than 41 additional 
     months of premiums for employer-based family health insurance 
     coverage with employer contributions; more than 50 weeks of 
     food for a family of 4; more than 12 additional months of 
     home ownership costs, including mortgage payments, real 
     estate taxes, insurance, utilities, and fuel costs; more than 
     17 additional months of rental costs, including rent 
     payments, utilities, and fuel; or the full cost of an average 
     borrower's Federal student loan debt in under 2 years;
       Whereas 38 percent of women have been sexually harassed at 
     the workplace and over 78 percent of sexual harassment 
     charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity 
     Commission are filed by women, yet research has found that 
     only a small number of women who experience harassment 
     formally

[[Page S4272]]

     report incidents for reasons including fear of retaliation;
       Whereas workplace harassment forces many women to leave 
     their occupation or industry;
       Whereas targets of harassment are 6.5 times as likely as 
     individuals who are not targets to change jobs or pass up 
     opportunities for advancement, contributing to the gender 
     wage gap;
       Whereas Black women were the most likely of all racial and 
     ethnic groups to have filed a sexual harassment charge;
       Whereas nearly two-thirds of workers that are paid the 
     minimum wage or less are women and there is an 
     overrepresentation of women of color in low-wage and tipped 
     occupations;
       Whereas 60 percent of private sector workers reported that 
     they were either discouraged or prohibited by their employers 
     from discussing wage and salary information, which can hide 
     pay discrimination and prevent remedies;
       Whereas the pay disparity Black women face is part of a 
     wider set of disparities that Black women face in home 
     ownership, unemployment, poverty, access to childcare, and 
     the ability to accumulate wealth;
       Whereas the gender wage gap for Black women has only 
     narrowed by 5 cents in the last 2 decades;
       Whereas true pay equity requires a multifaceted strategy 
     that addresses the gender and racial injustices that Black 
     women face daily;
       Whereas the pandemic had a disproportionately negative 
     economic impact on Black women; and
       Whereas many national organizations have designated July 9, 
     2024, as Black Women's Equal Pay Day to represent the 
     additional time that Black women must work to compensate for 
     the lower wages paid to Black women in 2023: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) recognizes the disparity in wages paid to Black women 
     and its impact on women, families, and the United States; and
       (2) reaffirms its support for ensuring equal pay for equal 
     work and narrowing the gender and racial wage gaps.

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