[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4817]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             EQUAL PAY DAY

  (Mr. CICILLINE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, today, April 9, is Equal Pay Day, the day 
on the calendar that marks more than 3 months into 2013 when women's 
wages finally catch up to what men earned in 2012.
  Nearly a half century after the passage of the Equal Pay Act, women 
continue to face unfairness in the workplace. According to the American 
Association of University Women, in Rhode Island's First Congressional 
District, women working full time, year round, still make only 83 cents 
on the dollar compared to the average man.
  For all the progress that we've made in the fight for women's rights, 
the issue of pay equity continues to persist. That's why I'm proud to 
voice my strong support for the Paycheck Fairness Act, a commonsense 
bill that would strengthen the Equal Pay Act by providing effective 
remedies for women who are not paid equal wages for equal work.
  It's time for us to prioritize the long-term well-being of the 
Nation's hardworking women, many of whom are heads of households, and 
immediately pass this critical legislation to help ensure equality in 
the workplace.

                          ____________________