[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 474]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  0910
                         PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT

  (Ms. ESHOO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, consider the following: if the United States 
had an adopted policy of equal pay, it would put $200 billion more into 
the economy every year. That comes out to about $137 for every white 
woman per paycheck and to approximately $300 for every woman of color, 
who is doubly discriminated against. These women are not going to put 
their money into a Cayman Islands bank account. Instead, they'll spend 
it; and this will boost our economy, create jobs and help families.
  With a record number of women in the workforce, wage discrimination 
hurts the majority of American families both in terms of their economic 
security today and their retirement security tomorrow. The Institute 
for Women's Policy Research found that wage disparity will cost women 
anywhere from $400,000 to $2 million over a lifetime of lost wages. 
That means fewer resources to pay the mortgage, to send kids to 
college, or to have a decent retirement. Also, due to rising employment 
rates, an unprecedented number of women are now the family 
breadwinners, making pay equity even more critical, not simply to 
family economic security but also to the Nation's economic recovery.
  As we look for ways to create more jobs and grow the economy, it is 
astounding to me that Congress has not yet passed legislation ensuring 
equal pay for equal work. It is a powerful policy with what would be 
powerful and positive economic outcomes. That is why I support the 
Paycheck Fairness Act. It ensures that employers who try to justify 
paying a man more than a woman for the same job must show that the 
disparity is not sex-based, but job-related and necessary. It prohibits 
employers from retaliating against employees who discuss or disclose 
their own salary information with their coworkers, and it strengthens 
the remedies available to wronged employees.
  Pay inequity due to gender discrimination is real, and it should not 
be tolerated. The House of Representatives should address this issue.

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