    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
    [January 30, 1999]
    [Pages 131-132]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    January 30, 1999

        Good morning. Americans have always believed that people who work
    hard should be able to provide for themselves and their families. That's
    a fundamental part of America's basic bargain. Today I want to talk to
    you about what we're doing to make sure that bargain works for all our
    people, by ensuring that women and men earn equal pay for equal work.
        We're living in a time of remarkable promise, with the strongest
    economy in a generation: nearly 18 million new jobs; the lowest
    unemployment in 29 years; family incomes rising by $3,500, the greatest
    real wage growth in over two decades. We have an opportunity now, and an
    obligation, to make sure every American fairly benefits from this moment
    of prosperity.
        One of the best ways to meet this challenge is to put an end to wage
    discrimination. When President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act 35 years
    ago, women were joining the work force in ever-increasing numbers, but
    their work was undervalued. At that time, for every dollar a man brought
    home in his paycheck, a woman doing the same work earned only 58 cents.
        We've made a lot of progress since those days. Last June my Council
    of Economic Advisors reported that the gender gap has narrowed
    considerably. In fact, it's been cut nearly in half. Today, women earn
    about 75 cents for every dollar a man earns. Now, we can be proud of
    this progress, but 75 cents on the dollar is still only three-quarters
    of the way there, and Americans can't be satisfied until we're all the
    way there.
        One big reason why the pay gap persists, despite women's gains in
    education and experience, is the demeaning practice of wage
    discrimination in our workplaces. Too many employers still undervalue
    and underpay work done by women. And make no mistake, when a woman is
    denied equal pay, it doesn't just hurt her; it hurts her family, and
    that hurts America.

    [[Page 132]]

        Between 1995 and 1996 alone, the number of families with 2 working
    parents increased by nearly 2 million. And in over 10 million families,
    the mother is the only breadwinner.
        Now just think what a 25 percent wage gap means in real terms over
    the course of a working year. How many bags of groceries or visits to
    the doctor? How many mortgage or rent or car payments? And over the
    course of a working life, it can mean hundreds of thousands of dollars:
    smaller pensions, less to put aside for retirement.
        To prepare our Nation for the 21st century, we must do more to
    ensure equal pay, equal opportunity, and equal dignity for working
    women. Today I'm pleased to announce a new $14 million equal pay
    initiative, included in my balanced budget, to help the Department of
    Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission expand
    opportunities in the workplace for women and end wage discrimination
    once and for all. With more resources to identify wage discrimination,
    to educate employers and workers about their rights and
    responsibilities, and to bring more women into better-paying jobs, we'll
    be closer than ever to making equal pay a reality for all Americans.
        In my State of the Union Address, when I called on Congress to
    ensure equal pay for equal work, it brought Members of both parties to
    their feet in a strong show of support. Equal pay is not a partisan
    issue. It's a matter of principle, a question of what kind of country we
    want America to be today and into the 21st century when our daughters
    grow up and enter the workplace.
        There's been strong leadership on fair pay from Members in both
    Houses of Congress, including Senator Tom Harkin
    and Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton. Today I ask Congress, as one of its first orders of
    business, to pass the ``Paycheck Fairness Act'' sponsored by Senator Tom
    Daschle and Representative Rosa
    DeLauro. It strengthens enforcement of our
    equal pay laws, expands opportunities for women, and helps working
    families to thrive.
        If we meet this challenge--if we value the contributions of all our
    workers--we will be a more productive, more prosperous, more proud, and
    a more just nation in the 21st century.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 1:22 p.m. on January 29 in the
    Roosevelt Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on January
    30. The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press
    Secretary on January 29 but was embargoed for release until the
    broadcast.