Gwen Moore Recognizes Equal Pay Day
Washington, DC,
April 17, 2012
Closing the wage gap will not only strengthen our families, but is crucial to ensuring a strong, robust economic recovery.
Contact: Nicole Y. Williams or Staci Cox (202) 225- 4572 Gwen Moore Recognizes Equal Pay Day Says Closing Wage Gap Crucial To Economic Recovery Washington, D.C. – On Equal Pay Day, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-4) released the following statement: “As we celebrate the ideals of Equal Pay Day, we must deal with the sad reality that women continue to fight for equal footing in our society – particularly in the workplace,” said Rep. Moore. “Women still only earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by men which is completely unacceptable. Equal pay is not simply a women’s issue – it’s a family issue. Families increasingly rely on women’s wages to make ends meet. In typical married households, women’s incomes accounted for 36 percent of total family income in 2008, up from 29 percent in 1983.” Achieving equal pay for women has been one of the top priorities of Democrats. In January 2009, the Democratic-led 111th Congress sent to the President’s desk the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act – and it became the first bill signed into law by President Obama. This Act, a great victory for women, restores the right of women to challenge unfair pay in court – but virtually all House Republicans rejected this critical measure for women. “While the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Act was a tremendous step for women in this country, we still have a long way to go,” said Rep. Moore. “I am also fighting for the enactment of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would provide a much-needed update to the 49-year-old Equal Pay Act by providing effective remedies to women who are not being paid equal wages for doing equal work. But once again, my Republican colleagues continue to stand in the way of progress for women and their families. “In my home state of Wisconsin, we see Governor Walker following the lead of Washington Republicans by rolling back the clock on equal pay. Earlier this month, he repealed Wisconsin’s Equal Pay Law, effectively making it more difficult for women to file pay discrimination suits. “It is incumbent upon all of us to ensure that all women are given equal pay for equal work. Closing the wage gap will not only strengthen our families, but is crucial to ensuring a strong, robust economic recovery. It is past time that we stop treating women as second class citizens and pay them their full worth.” ### For “Moore” News Updates Follow Gwen Moore on Twitter @RepGwenMoore and Like Gwen Moore on Facebook Contact: Nicole Y. Williams or Staci Cox (202) 225- 4572 Gwen Moore Recognizes Equal Pay Day Says Closing Wage Gap Crucial To Economic Recovery Washington, D.C. – On Equal Pay Day, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-4) released the following statement: “As we celebrate the ideals of Equal Pay Day, we must deal with the sad reality that women continue to fight for equal footing in our society – particularly in the workplace,” said Rep. Moore. “Women still only earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by men which is completely unacceptable. Equal pay is not simply a women’s issue – it’s a family issue. Families increasingly rely on women’s wages to make ends meet. In typical married households, women’s incomes accounted for 36 percent of total family income in 2008, up from 29 percent in 1983.” Achieving equal pay for women has been one of the top priorities of Democrats. In January 2009, the Democratic-led 111th Congress sent to the President’s desk the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act – and it became the first bill signed into law by President Obama. This Act, a great victory for women, restores the right of women to challenge unfair pay in court – but virtually all House Republicans rejected this critical measure for women. “While the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Act was a tremendous step for women in this country, we still have a long way to go,” said Rep. Moore. “I am also fighting for the enactment of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would provide a much-needed update to the 49-year-old Equal Pay Act by providing effective remedies to women who are not being paid equal wages for doing equal work. But once again, my Republican colleagues continue to stand in the way of progress for women and their families. “In my home state of Wisconsin, we see Governor Walker following the lead of Washington Republicans by rolling back the clock on equal pay. Earlier this month, he repealed Wisconsin’s Equal Pay Law, effectively making it more difficult for women to file pay discrimination suits. “It is incumbent upon all of us to ensure that all women are given equal pay for equal work. Closing the wage gap will not only strengthen our families, but is crucial to ensuring a strong, robust economic recovery. It is past time that we stop treating women as second class citizens and pay them their full worth.” ### For “Moore” News Updates Follow Gwen Moore on Twitter @RepGwenMoore and Like Gwen Moore on Facebook |
