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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E108]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IN SUPPORT OF PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT
______
HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE
of texas
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I am proud to be a sponsor of the
Paycheck Fairness Act.
This Act is needed to stop discriminatory practices by employers
against our mothers, wives, daughters, and granddaughters that do the
same job as their male counterparts.
It is sad that today in America, women working full-time, year-round
still earn 80 cents, on average, for every dollar earned by men.
Women of color face the brunt of the inequality, with African
American women earning 61 cents, Latinas earning 53 cents, and Native
Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women earning 62 cents compared with
white, non-Hispanic men.
This year marks the 10-year anniversary of President Barack Obama
signing the Lily Ledbetter Act, which made it easier to sue in cases of
pay discrimination.
This legislation that we are discussing today--the Paycheck Fairness
Act--is but one small step towards that end.
The Paycheck Fairness Act, will strengthen the Equal Pay Act--passed
more than 45 years ago--and as a result improve the law's
effectiveness, and help to address the persistent wage gap between men
and women.
The Paycheck Fairness Act would:
Clarify acceptable reasons for differences in pay by requiring
employers to demonstrate that wage gaps between men and women doing the
same work are truly a result of factors other than sex.
Deter wage discrimination by strengthening penalties for equal pay
violations, and by prohibiting retaliation against workers who inquire
about employers' wage practices or disclose their own wages.
The bill's approach would ensure that women can obtain the same
remedies as those subject to discrimination on the basis of race or
national origin.
Provide women with a fair option to proceed in a class action suit
under the Equal Pay Act, and allow women to receive punitive and
compensatory damages for pay discrimination.
Clarify the establishment provision under the Equal Pay Act, which
would allow for reasonable comparisons between employees to determine
fair wages.
Authorize additional training for Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission staff to better identify and handle wage disputes.
It will aid in the efficient and effective enforcement of federal
anti-pay discrimination laws by requiring the EEOC to develop
regulations directing employers to collect wage data, reported by the
race, sex, and national origin of employees.
It will require the U.S. Department of Labor to reinstate activities
that promote equal pay, such as: directing educational programs,
providing technical assistance to employers, recognizing businesses
that address the wage gap, collecting wage-related data, and conducting
and promoting research about pay disparities between men and women.
More importantly for our young ladies going into the workforce it
will establish a competitive grant program to develop salary
negotiation training for women and girls.
As a Member of the Women's Caucus I have been fighting for pay equity
for American women since before I arrived here as a Representative in
1995, and I believe that equal pay for equal work is a simple matter of
justice.
Wage disparities are not simply a result of women's education levels
or life choices.
In fact, the pay gap between college educated men and women appears
first after college--even when women are working full-time in the same
fields with the same major as men--and continues to widen during the
first 10 years in the workforce.
Further, this persistent wage gap not only impacts the economic
security of women and their families today, it also directly affects
women's retirement security tomorrow.
Now is the time for additional proactive measures to effectively
address wage discrimination and eliminate loopholes that have hindered
the Equal Pay Act's effectiveness.
I urge my colleagues, both men and women to support equality in
rights and pay for all Americans by supporting the Paycheck Fairness
Act.
____________________