[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8140]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EQUAL PAY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 5, 2013

  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, fifty years ago when President Kennedy signed 
the Equal Pay Act of 1963, he stated that ``when women enter the labor 
force they will find equality in their pay envelopes.'' Yet a half 
century later, women still do not have equality in their pay. In 1963, 
women made an average of 59 cents for every dollar earned by men. 
Today, women nationwide make on average 77 cents for every dollar 
earned by men. According to a new report from the American Association 
of University Women, women in my Congressional District still earn only 
74 cents for every dollar earned by men--progress, but not nearly 
enough.
   With the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act upon us, and as 
American women continue to encounter lower pay in the workplace, I can 
think of no better action to take than to pass the Paycheck Fairness 
Act.
   Here's why.
   If the United States adopts a policy of paycheck fairness, it will 
put $200 billion more into the economy every year. That comes out to 
about $137 for every white woman per paycheck, and approximately $300 
for every woman of color who are doubly discriminated against.
   And with a record number of women in the workforce, wage 
discrimination is hurting the majority of American families, both in 
terms of their economic security today and their retirement security 
tomorrow. This means fewer resources to pay the mortgage, send kids to 
college, or have a decent retirement.
   Passing the Paycheck Fairness Act will close loopholes that allow 
pay discrimination to continue. The bill requires employers to 
demonstrate pay disparity is related to job performance--not gender. It 
prohibits employer retaliation for sharing salary information with 
coworkers, and it strengthens remedies for pay discrimination by 
increasing compensation women can seek.
   Fifty years after President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act, the 
law has brought more equity to the workplace, but neither President 
Kennedy nor today's leaders can say our job is done.
   Pass the Paycheck Fairness Act because pay equity means economic 
growth for America's women and their families.

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