Congressman Cohen Marks 45th Anniversary of the Equal Pay Act with Call for More Action

Today Congressman Cohen released the following statement in honor of the anniversary of President Kennedy’s signing of the landmark women’s rights legislation:

The wage gap is one of the most pressing issues facing families, the economy and women workers in particular. Unfair pay affects women whether they are business executives or retail salespeople. It’s a virus in the workplace that strikes women regardless of education, occupation, race or age.

Throughout my career, I have fought to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work. Eliminating income disparities among men and women doing equal work is a common-sense issue that affects all working women and their families. By eradicating unfair treatment in the labor market, we can help families gain the resources they need to ensure that their children have access to a better future in the 21st century.

Last July, the House of Representatives passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which I proudly cosponsored and spoke in support of on the House floor. Unfortunately, Senate Republicans filibustered the bill and Democrats were unable to muster the votes to invoke cloture. The Act would restore basic protections against pay discrimination and rectify a May 2007 Supreme Court decision in the case of Ledbetter v. Goodyear that overturned longstanding precedents regarding pay discrimination claims. The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, ruled that a worker must file charges of pay discrimination within 180 days of an employer’s discriminatory infraction. This is an unrealistic burden on employees as it requires them to know what their coworkers are being paid.

Although there has been progress on closing the wage gap between men and women, it has been too slow. Between 1963 and now, the wage gap has narrowed by less than half a cent a year. At this rate, it would take about another 50 years before men and women reach pay parity in this country. Women should not have to wait any longer. Their families should not have to wait. That is why I am cosponsoring H.R. 1338, the Paycheck Fairness Act.

This bill would strengthen provisions of the original Equal Pay Act of 1963 to provide more effective remedies to women who are treated unfairly in the workplace. I’m optimistic that this bill will be enacted upon by the House of Representatives soon. This is not a women’s issue – it’s a family issue. Women often provide a significant share of the family income, and in many cases they are the sole wage-earner. Working women and their families deserve equal pay for equal work.

- 30 -

Contact:
Marilyn Dillihay, Press Secretary, 202-225-3265
Charlie Gerber, Communications Assistant, 202-225-3265