Today, Representative Lois Frankel (FL-22), alongside Representatives Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-3), and Nikema Williams (GA-5), introduced a House resolution recognizing March 26, 2026, as Equal Pay Day—the date marking how far into the new year women must work to earn what men earned in 2025 alone.

The resolution raises awareness of the persistent gender wage gap and its impact on women and families, while reaffirming Congress’s commitment to equal pay for equal work.

“Equal pay is not just about fairness—it’s about economic security and opportunity,” said Rep. Frankel. “For generations, women have been paid less for the same work, concentrated in lower-paying jobs, and pushed out of the workforce by a lack of affordable child care. And for the second year in a row, the pay gap for full-time, year-round women workers has widened. This disparity limits women’s ability to save for retirement and reduces their Social Security and pension benefits, contributing to higher rates of poverty among older women. It’s long past time for Congress to take meaningful action to support equal pay and narrowing the gender wage gap.”

"Equal Pay Day marks how far into the current year a woman must work to catch up to what her male counterpart earned in the previous year,” said Rep. DeLauro. “Six decades after passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, women working full-time or part-time still earn 76 cents for every dollar earned by men. In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, this is unacceptable. While Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, the wage gap is costing nearly $1.7 trillion annually. Equal pay for equal work is a simple concept – men and women in the same job deserve the same pay. It is time we make it real for the millions of American women who are being unfairly undervalued in the workplace. Let’s enact the Paycheck Fairness Act and empower working women by giving them the tools to ensure their contributions to the workplace are properly respected and reflected in their pay.”

“It’s been 62 years since we passed the Equal Pay Act. And we still don’t have equal pay?! It keeps getting worse because there isn’t a mechanism to fight this discrimination. Every member of the DWC is a proud cosponsor of Rep. DeLauro’s Paycheck Fairness Act so women can challenge pay discrimination and hold employers accountable,” said Rep. Leger Fernández. “We are fighting for legislation to guarantee wage transparency so women know when they’re being paid less for the same work. We are fighting for paid leave for all so that no woman has to choose between their paycheck and caring for their loved ones. This is not just a matter of fairness—it’s a matter of dignity. We believe in a world where you can balance your work and your family without losing the job that sustains you.”

“For the second year in a row, the gender pay gap has widened, hitting Black women and women of color the hardest. Equal pay is more than a women’s issue; it is a matter of economic justice and racial justice,” said Rep. Williams. “When women are paid less for the same work, families suffer, communities struggle, and our economy falls short. I’m proud to co-lead this resolution to reaffirm our commitment to closing the gender wage gap and fully realizing the promise of the Equal Pay Act of 1963.”

The resolution was introduced with 140 original cosponsors. It is supported by many advocacy groups, including the National Partnership for Women & Families, National Organization for Women, MomsRising, National Women's Law Center Action Fund, Equal Pay Today Coalition, Equal Rights Advocates, Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), Justice for Migrant Women, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), American Association of University Women (AAUW), A Better Balance, Golden State Opportunity, PowHer New York, and Women Employed.

For the full text of the resolution, click here.