Washington - Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter today attended a bill signing ceremony at the White House.  The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which Shea-Porter cosponsored, was signed into law by President Obama.  This new law will make it easier for victims of pay discrimination to file claims.

“I was thrilled to be at the White House to watch President Obama sign this first major piece of legislation into law,” said Congresswoman Shea-Porter. “As I watched him sign, I thought about the people who will now be protected because one courageous individual, Lilly Ledbetter, pursued justice.”

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is named for a woman who worked at a Goodyear Tire facility for two decades, but was paid less than her male counterparts for the same work. Ledbetter sued Goodyear Tire, and a jury found that her employer had illegally discriminated against her. However, the Supreme Court ruled that Ledbetter had waited too long to sue for pay discrimination, even though she was unaware of the discrimination at the time and sued as soon as she found out. This legislation applies to pay discrimination not only on the basis of sex, but also race, religion, national origin, disability, or age. 

Congresswoman Shea-Porter was an original cosponsor of The Lilly Ledbetter Act. Two weeks ago, Shea-Porter spoke on the House floor in support of this important piece of legislation.