[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 700]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      WOMEN AND THE SHRIVER REPORT

  (Ms. KUSTER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. KUSTER. Madam Speaker, one of the most common stories I hear from 
my constituents is the struggle to survive from paycheck to paycheck 
and to support their families.
  Maria Shriver's new report detailing the economic challenges for 
women in America is in the news this week, and its findings are 
shocking.
  We face the alarming reality that one in three women either live in 
poverty or are right on the brink. Two-thirds of the primary or co-
breadwinners in American families are women, yet women earn just 77 
cents for every dollar earned by men performing the same jobs.
  Ensuring that men and women receive equal pay for equal work isn't 
just a matter of fairness; it is a matter of economic necessity. 
Especially in these tough economic times, smaller paychecks and lack of 
paid family leave for women make it harder for mothers to support their 
families, purchase health care, send their kids to college, and save 
for retirement.
  Congress must take the next step and institute new policies that 
support women and their families.
  As a Nation, we can and must do better.

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