[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 707 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 707
Commemorating the 57th anniversary of the establishment of the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission, recognizing the importance of the
Commission in addressing inequities in our economy, and recognizing the
tremendous amount of work left to further protect the rights of
workers, hold employers accountable for workplace discrimination and
harassment, and address the wage gap.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 13, 2022
Mrs. Murray (for herself, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Casey, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Van
Hollen, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Brown, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Reed,
Ms. Warren, Ms. Hassan, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Baldwin, Mr.
Merkley, Mr. Cardin, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Markey, Mr. Carper, Mr.
Whitehouse, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Booker, Mr. Peters, Ms. Smith,
Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. King, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Murphy, Mrs.
Feinstein, Mr. Coons, Ms. Rosen, and Ms. Cortez Masto) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Commemorating the 57th anniversary of the establishment of the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission, recognizing the importance of the
Commission in addressing inequities in our economy, and recognizing the
tremendous amount of work left to further protect the rights of
workers, hold employers accountable for workplace discrimination and
harassment, and address the wage gap.
Whereas July 2, 2022, marks the 57th anniversary of the formation of the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (referred to in this preamble as the
``EEOC''), established by title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42
U.S.C. 2000e et seq.);
Whereas the mission of the EEOC is to prevent and remedy unlawful employment
discrimination and advance equal opportunity for all in the workplace,
including through education, outreach, investigations, and litigation;
Whereas the EEOC is responsible for enforcing Federal laws that prohibit
discrimination in employment, including harassment and compensation
discrimination, including--
(1) section 6(d) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (commonly
known as the ``Equal Pay Act of 1963'') (29 U.S.C. 206(d)), which prohibits
employment discrimination on account of sex in the payment of wages by
employers;
(2) title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e et
seq.), which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race,
color, religion, national origin, and sex, including gender identity and
sexual orientation;
(3) the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (29 U.S.C. 621 et
seq.), which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of age;
(4) the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-555), which
prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth,
or a related medical condition;
(5) title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C.
12111 et seq.) and sections 501 and 505 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
(29 U.S.C. 791, 794a), which prohibit employment discrimination on the
basis of disability; and
(6) title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008
(42 U.S.C. 2000ff et seq.), which prohibits employment discrimination on
the basis of genetic information;
Whereas, since 1965, the United States has made great progress in ensuring equal
opportunity and fair treatment in the workplace for women, workers of
color, workers with disabilities, older workers, and other workers;
Whereas title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 promises workers that they can
earn a paycheck without facing discrimination or harassment in the
workplace and without fear of retaliation;
Whereas the EEOC plays a vital role in making that promise a reality by
investigating workplace discrimination and harassment, and by enforcing
Federal anti-discrimination statutes;
Whereas, in fiscal year 2021, the EEOC resolved over 62,000 charges and
recovered over $350,000,000 in remedies for violations of anti-
discrimination laws, and between fiscal years 2018 and 2021, the EEOC
received over 98,000 charges alleging harassment, of which, over 27,000
were related to sexual harassment;
Whereas, despite the progress that has been made toward equity and fairness in
the workplace, the gender wage gap persists, and according to the most
recent data and updated methodology, women were paid just 73 cents for
every dollar paid to men in 2020, with even greater disparities for
women of color;
Whereas the EEOC's own extensive study of sexual harassment in the workplace
concluded that it is difficult to even know how many individuals
experience sexual harassment, a critical first step to addressing
harassment and ensuring that workers feel safe; and
Whereas tipped workers (who are largely low wage, women, and immigrant workers)
are more likely to experience workplace harassment and retaliation, and
account for 14 percent of harassment charges to the EEOC, a high share
of such harassment charges: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) recognizes the critical role the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (referred to in this resolution as the
``EEOC'') plays in addressing longstanding issues including the
wage gap, combating workplace harassment, and ensuring all
workers, including LGBTQ+ workers, workers with disabilities,
pregnant workers, and workers of color, are treated with
dignity and respect in the workplace; and
(2) recognizes the work that still remains to be done to
secure the rights and opportunities guaranteed by Federal anti-
discrimination laws, which ensure all workers have a fair shot
at success in the workplace.
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