The House is expected to vote today on the Paycheck Fairness Act. The Committee passed the measure on July 24 to help end the discriminatory practice of paying men and women unequally for performing the same job. Loopholes created by courts and weak sanctions in the law have allowed many employers to avoid liability for engaging in gender-based pay discrimination. The bill, which was introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, will strengthen the Equal Pay Act and close the loopholes that have allowed employers to avoid responsibility for discriminatory pay.
Although the wage gap between men and women has narrowed since the
passage of the landmark Equal Pay Act in 1963, gender-based wage
discrimination remains a problem for women in the U.S. workforce.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women only make 77 cents for every
dollar earned by a man. The Institute of Women’s Policy Research found
that this wage disparity will cost women anywhere from $400,000 to $2
million over a lifetime in lost wages.