[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9141]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             EQUAL PAY ACT

  (Ms. KELLY of Illinois asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate the 52nd 
anniversary of the passage of the Equal Pay Act, I rise today to 
reflect on our commitment to equality and the work ahead to turn this 
commitment into a reality.
  In 1963, our Nation declared that women deserved equal pay for equal 
work; yet, more than half a century later, we still have much work 
ahead to end pay discrimination against women. Today, women make just 
77 cents for every dollar men earn, amounting to an $11,000 gap per 
year between full-time men and women. That is almost $1,000 each month 
to help with groceries, rent, and student loans.
  The workforce disparities have disastrous effects on our Nation. 
According to the Census Bureau, 1 in 3 women lives 200 percent below 
the Federal poverty line compared to 1 in 4 men, and of the more than 
100 million Americans who live paycheck to paycheck, almost 70 percent 
of them are women and their children. Meanwhile, of the S&P 500 
companies, women make up just 14.2 percent of their leadership 
positions, and only 24 companies have female CEOs.
  Women deserve a fair shot at the American Dream. I urge my colleagues 
to work with me to address these issues. Together, let's eliminate 
gender disparities in our workforce.

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