[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7767]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                        EQUAL PAY DAY RESOLUTION

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                         HON. NEIL ABERCROMBIE

                               of hawaii

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 11, 2000

  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
significance of May 11th, as Equal Pay Day. Today is the day when 
women's wages for the period beginning January 1, 1999, will equal the 
amount earned by a man during calendar year 1999.
  Since the passage of landmark legislation like the Equal Pay Act and 
the Civil Rights Act, women's participation in the labor market has 
increased dramatically. Unfortunately, their pay has not.
  Women continue to earn less than men for comparable work. U.S. Census 
data from 1998 shows that women earn only 73 cents for every dollar 
earned by men.
  Equal pay is a problem for all working women. For example, the 95 
percent of nurses who are women earn $30 less each week than the 5 
percent of nurses who are men.
  Unequal pay doesn't just affect women, it affects our entire economy.
  I had hoped that I would be able to bring forward the resolution that 
Representative Morella and I introduced recognizing Equal Pay Day. 
Unfortunately, the Republican Leadership in the House refuses to 
acknowledge the significant effects of unequal pay on working women and 
their families.
  This Congress can do more than rest on the laurels of equal pay 
legislation that passed over 30 years ago. I urge all Members of 
Congress to commemorate Equal Pay Day. Let women in your district know 
that you will pursue the passage of equal pay legislation in the 106th 
Congress.

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