WASHINGTON, DC – Today on Equal Pay Day, the day when women’s earnings from last year finally catch up to what men earned in 2018, Rep. Lois Frankel (FL-21), along with Reps. Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and Brenda Lawrence (MI-14) and 102 Members, introduced a resolution to highlight this critical disparity in wages that is holding women and families back from reaching their full potential.

“Women go to work for the same reasons as men – to earn money to make ends meet, take care of their families and retire in dignity. Regardless of race or gender, everyone deserves to be paid equally for equal work,” said Rep. Frankel, Co-Chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus.

“Equal Pay Day falls over four months into 2019. Every year, I hope we never have to recognize this day, and though we have made some progress in closing the wage gap, it still exists for too many women,” said Rep. DeLauro. “Women and men in the same job deserve the same pay. That is why House Democrats passed the Paycheck Fairness Act last week, taking a strong step toward ensuring we close the wage gap. It is long past time we make equal pay a reality for working women and their families.”

“Closing the wage gap has never been more important, especially in the African-American community, where more than 80% of black mothers are key breadwinners for their families,” said Rep. Lawrence, Co-Chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus. “With the introduction of this resolution, we have a unique opportunity to celebrate the working woman, assist with lifting families from poverty, and protect women against workplace discrimination. Women have a voice, and now is the time for our voice to be heard.”

Nationally, women still earn on average only 80 cents for every dollar made by men for full-time, year-round work, and the discrepancy is even worse for women of color. For a woman working full-time, the wage gap represents a loss of more than $400,000 over a career. According to a 2017 analysis, if women in the United States received equal pay with comparable men, poverty for working women would be reduced by half and the economy would add $512.6 billion annually. On average, if the annual gender wage gap were eliminated women would have enough money for approximately:

• 13 more months of child care;
• 10 additional months of rent;
• 70 weeks of food;
• 7 more months of mortgage and utilities payments;
• The full cost of tuition and fees for a two-year college;
• Or 7 additional months of premiums for employer-based health insurance.

Last week, the Democratic-led House of Representatives passed the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would strengthen and close loopholes in the Equal Pay Act of 1963. Specifically, it would hold employers accountable for discriminatory practices, end the practice of pay secrecy, ease workers’ ability to individually or jointly challenge pay discrimination, and strengthen the available remedies for wronged employees.

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