WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), released the following statement today after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 1338), legislation that will strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and provide more effective remedies for closing the gender pay gap:

“It’s appalling that gender pay discrimination persists nearly half a century after we passed the Equal Pay Act.

“Most women - including over 70 percent of all mothers - are in the labor force today.  Yet, they continue to earn less than men even if they have similar educational levels and work in similar kinds of jobs.  A 2003 Government Accountability Office (GAO) study that I commissioned showed that when occupation, marital status, job tenure, industry, and race are accounted for, women still earn 80 cents for every dollar men earn.

“Pay discrimination hurts not only a working woman, but her entire family - especially in the face of rising prices for basics, like food and gasoline. 

“The typical wife brings home about a third of her family’s total income. Over the past three decades, only those families who have a working wife have seen real increases in family income: families without a working wife have real incomes today that are nearly identical to what they were over 35 years ago.

“Many in Congress like to talk about family values, but the most important way we can show that we truly value families is to ensure that women earn a fair day’s pay. 

“The Paycheck Fairness Act will prevent, regulate, and reduce pay discrimination for working women nationwide.  It will help women become better negotiators, enforce equal pay laws for federal contractors, and require the Department of Labor to work with employers to eliminate pay disparities.  The Paycheck Fairness Act will also prohibit employers from retaliating against employees who share salary information with their co-workers.

“Women’s work should be valued equally.  Passing this bill today is an important step toward making that happen.”

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