March 28, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 54 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Page H2907]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK

  (Ms. DEAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. DEAN. Mr. Speaker, America is built on some core values that 
everyone should have an equal voice in our democracy, that everyone 
deserves equal opportunity, and that equal work should mean equal pay.
  Right now, however, equal work doesn't mean equal pay. According to 
the United States Census Bureau, on average, women earn just 80 cents 
for every dollar earned by men. This wage gap hurts women, of course, 
but it also hurts their families and our economy as a whole.
  Yesterday, we took a major step toward addressing this challenge by 
passing H.R. 7, the Paycheck Fairness Act. This bill will help close 
the wage gap by holding employers accountable for discriminatory 
practices and making it easier for workers to seek redress.
  If we believe that Americans deserve equal pay for equal work--and I 
believe that as deeply as I believe anything--then this bill is how we 
put our values into action.
  I thank Representative DeLauro for her decades of leadership on this 
issue, and I urge the Senate to take up this bill. What better way to 
conclude Women's History Month than by making history for women and for 
all Americans?

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