HOUSE PASSES TWO FAIR PAY MEASURES

Today, the House of Representatives passed two bills to ensure equal pay for equal work:  the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act.  These were among the first measures to be considered by the 111th Congress.

Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act would reverse the 2007 Supreme Court ruling that makes it difficult for victims of discrimination to pursue claims.  The House passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (H.R. 11) by a vote of 247-171. The bill would clarify that every paycheck or other compensation resulting from an earlier discriminatory pay decision constitutes a violation of the Civil Rights Act. As long as workers file their charges within 180 days of a discriminatory paycheck, their charges would be considered timely. This was the law prior to the Supreme Court’s May 2007 decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear.

“The Supreme Court’s misguided decision is already having very harmful consequences far beyond Ms. Ledbetter’s case and must not stand,” said Chairman George Miller. “This issue is about basic fairness for our nation’s workers. Americans shouldn’t be treated differently based on the color of their skin, gender, disability or faith.”

According to a report from The New York Times, the 2007 Ledbetter decision has already been cited in more than 300 discrimination cases. Not only have pay discrimination cases been adversely impacted, but protections guaranteed by the Fair Housing Act, Title IX, and the Eight Amendment have also been affected.

More on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, including a list of supporters »

Paycheck Fairness Act will help close gender wage gap. By a 256 to 163 vote, the House passed the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 12), introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a bill that will strengthen the Equal Pay Act and close loopholes that have allowed many 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 significant problem for women in the U.S. workforce. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women only make 78 cents for every dollar earned by a man.

The Institute of Women’s Policy Research concluded that this wage disparity will cost a woman anywhere from $400,000 to $2 million over her lifetime in lost wages.

More on the Paycheck Fairness Act, including a list of supporters »