Women have made great strides in America, but still make only 76
cents for every dollar paid to men. As a mother and a grandmother,
Murray wants her children to live in a country where all children can
grow up and be treated equally.
This wage disparity is a life-long problem for women,
because it follows them into retirement. Women are twice as likely to
live in poverty over age 65. Women are more dependent upon Social
Security for a greater percentage of their retirement income. And
because of lower lifetime wages, many women are unable to contribute to
private pensions or retirement savings.
- Murray was a strong supporter of the Lily Ledbetter
Fair Pay Act out of the Senate. This legislation would reverse the
Supreme Court’s decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire &
Rubber Co that seriously undermined the laws that protect
workers against pay discrimination. She was pleased that this
legislation was signed into law in January of 2009.
- Since 1996, Senator Murray has cosponsored the Fair
Pay Act, legislation that would prohibit wage discrimination on
the basis of sex, race or national origin.
- Senator Murray has consistently fought to prevent
the Bush Administration from rolling back efforts to fight the
wage gap.
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