Rep. Gallego Votes to Pass the Paycheck Fairness Act
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) joined 216 of his colleagues in the House in voting to pass H.R. 7, the Paycheck Fairness Act, to strengthen the Equal Pay Act and ensure equal pay for equal work. Rep. Gallego released the following statement:
"On average, an American woman who works full time makes just 82 cents for every dollar paid to a white, non-Hispanic man, adding up to more than $400,000 in lost income over the course of her career. This fundamental inequity in the workplace not only hurts women, it also hurts children, families, and our shared economy. The pay gap is even wider for women of color: Black women make only 63 cents, Latina women 55 cents, and Native women 60 cents, to every dollar made by white, non-Hispanic men.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has only deepened this divide, stalling or rolling back many advancements made by working women, with women and especially women of color bearing the brunt of job losses over the past year. Today, women's workforce participation is currently the lowest it has been in more than 30 years. That is why I voted to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act.
"The Paycheck Fairness Act will build on the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act by requiring employers to prove that pay disparities are for legitimate, job-related reasons and increasing penalties for violations of the Equal Pay Act. It will also protect employees from retaliation for discussing their pay and limit how employers can use a prospective employee's salary history when making hiring and pay decisions.
"I have long fought to achieve gender equality in America, and the Paycheck Fairness Act is an important step in that direction. I now call on my colleagues in the Senate to swiftly pass this critical piece of legislation."
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