Administration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 2022

January 29, 2022

Thirteen years ago, Lilly Ledbetter became a household name, as the bill named in her honor became the first bill signed into law during the Obama-Biden administration. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was an important step forward in the fight to close the gender and racial wage gaps that unfairly hold women, especially women of color, back in the workplace, and it underscored the role that equal pay plays in supporting both working families and our broader economy.

We still have work to do to fulfill the promise of equal pay. During the COVIDâ19 pandemic, this country has depended on frontline workersâin sectors like childcare, eldercare, home health care, retail, and hospitalityâmany of whom are women of color and often paid low wages. Even as they have borne the brunt of the health and economic crisis, women continue to be paid less than their male counterparts, denying them hundreds of thousands of dollars over their lifetimes.

Vice President Harris and I are committed to using the tools available to us to prevent pay discrimination. I took executive action to raise the minimum wage for Federal contractors, which goes into effect tomorrow and will significantly benefit women. I also signed an Executive order to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the Federal workforce, which included a focus on advancing pay equity for Federal workers. I continue to call on Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, commonsense legislation that would give workers more tools to fight sex- based discrimination and take major steps towards increasing pay transparency.

We will continue working to ensure women aren't held back in the workplace, by prioritizing equal pay, improving the quality of jobs that are disproportionately held by women, and dismantling the barriers that keep women from fully participating in the labor force, including by making childcare more affordable, increasing access to eldercare and home health care, and investing in care workers. To boost these efforts, the White House will host a convening on Equal Pay Day later this spring, bringing together partners across the government, nonprofit, and private sectors to fight for equal pay.

We look forward to coming together to drive progress on equal pay and strengthen the economic security of women and their families across this country.

NOTE: The statement referred to Lilly Ledbetter, former employee, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. plant in Gadsden, AL. It also referred to H.R. 7.

Categories: Statements by the President : Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, 13th anniversary. Names: Harris, Kamala D.; Ledbetter, Lilly; Obama, Barack.

Subjects: "Civil rights : Wage equality ; Business and industry : Wage discrimination; Civil rights

: Women's rights and gender equality; Diseases : Coronavirus, domestic prevention efforts; Economy, national : Household income and wages; Legislation, proposed : Paycheck Fairness Act; White House Office : Vice President.

DCPD Number: DCPD202200049.

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