Hoyer Statement on the 55th Anniversary of the Equal Pay Act
Press Types
Press Release
For Immediate Release:
June 10, 2018
Contact Info:
Mariel Saez 202-225-3130
WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today on the 55th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act being signed into law:
“Fifty-five years ago today, President Kennedy signed into law the Equal Pay Act, which put into statute for the first time that men and women are to be paid equally for the same work. In 1963, a woman earned, on average, only $0.60 to the dollar earned by a man. While we have made great progress since then, women still only earn an average of $0.80 to a man’s dollar today, and the wage gap for minority women is even larger. This is both unjust and economically harmful.
“Women’s incomes support families, including millions of single-parent homes and those where women are the primary breadwinners. When women are shortchanged and receive less than they deserve from their hard work, this injustice ripples across our economy. That’s why I brought the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to the House Floor in 2009 as Majority Leader and worked hard to make sure it was the first bill signed into law by President Obama. It’s also why I’m going to continue working with my Democratic colleagues in Congress to fight for an end to the pay gap and ensure that women receive the fair and equal pay for the work they perform. I’m proud to be an original co-sponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act, and I urge Republican leaders to bring it to the Floor for a vote, so we can build on the Equal Pay Act for the next generation.”
“Fifty-five years ago today, President Kennedy signed into law the Equal Pay Act, which put into statute for the first time that men and women are to be paid equally for the same work. In 1963, a woman earned, on average, only $0.60 to the dollar earned by a man. While we have made great progress since then, women still only earn an average of $0.80 to a man’s dollar today, and the wage gap for minority women is even larger. This is both unjust and economically harmful.
“Women’s incomes support families, including millions of single-parent homes and those where women are the primary breadwinners. When women are shortchanged and receive less than they deserve from their hard work, this injustice ripples across our economy. That’s why I brought the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to the House Floor in 2009 as Majority Leader and worked hard to make sure it was the first bill signed into law by President Obama. It’s also why I’m going to continue working with my Democratic colleagues in Congress to fight for an end to the pay gap and ensure that women receive the fair and equal pay for the work they perform. I’m proud to be an original co-sponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act, and I urge Republican leaders to bring it to the Floor for a vote, so we can build on the Equal Pay Act for the next generation.”