“It’s simply not fair that any woman working the same hours in the same job should make less money than her male coworker.”

Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid spoke on the Senate floor today about the anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery.

Today women make up nearly half of the American workforce. Women graduate from college at higher rates than men. More women were sworn into the 113th Congress than any before it, and there are more women in the Senate Democratic Caucus than ever before. Millions of women in the United States are the primary wage earners for their families. And women are now free to fight for this country on the front lines of battle. Yet for millions of American women, no amount of valor, talent or dedication will bring pay equality with their male peers.

Women still take home 77 cents for every dollar their male colleagues earn for doing exactly the same work. That’s true regardless of whether a woman has a college degree, regardless of what job she holds and regardless of how many hours she spends at the office or factory each week.

Four years ago today, President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. That legislation – the first bill Barack Obama signed as President – was the single greatest legislative step to ensure women have every chance to be full, equal participants in the workforce since the Equal Pay Act of 1963.

But while this landmark legislation built on the legacy of the Equal Pay Act and narrowed the pay gap, it still hasn’t closed that gap. So the Senior Senator from Maryland, Senator Barbara Mikulski, introduced the Paycheck Fairness Act last Congress.

The Paycheck Fairness Act is a logical extension of protections under the Equal Pay Act and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. It would help close the wage disparity by empowering women to negotiate for equal pay and creating strong incentives for employers to obey the laws already in place. It would give workers stronger tools to combat wage discrimination and bar retaliation against workers for discussing salary information. And it would help secure adequate compensation for victims of gender-based pay discrimination.

It’s simply not fair that any woman working the same hours in the same job should make less money than her male coworker.

Unfortunately, this common-sense legislation was blocked by a Republican filibuster last Congress. But Senator Mikulski, who has done so much to advance the cause of pay equity, reintroduced the measure last week.

As we mark the fourth anniversary of the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Act, I applaud Senator Mikulski and the women of the Senate Democratic Caucus for their dedication to American women and families – and to the principle of equality.

Bloomberg – Senate Republicans Block Plan to Reduce Gender Gap in Pay – Republicans in the U.S. Senate blocked Democrats’ latest proposal intended to attract women voters this election year, a measure to bolster workers’ ability to win pay-discrimination lawsuits. The 52-47 vote today in Washington, with 60 required, didn’t advance the measure, which also would prohibit retaliation against workers who share wage information. All Republicans opposed the bill. “For millions of American women, no amount of talent or dedication will bring pay equality with male co-workers,” Majority Leader Harry Reid said on the Senate floor today. “In the minds of many employers, they simply aren’t equal.” LINK

Reuters – Senate Republicans Block Equal Pay Measure - U.S. Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked an election-year bid by Democrats for legislation they said would discourage employers from paying women less than they pay men for the same job. In a party-line vote, Democrats, who control the Senate, failed to muster the 60 votes needed to advance the legislation backed by President Barack Obama. The issue is part of an election-year effort by Obama and congressional Democrats to woo women voters ahead of November 6 elections. LINK

NY Times – Senate Republicans Again Block Pay Equity Bill – A bill that would pave the way for women to more easily litigate their way to pay equality failed  to clear a procedural hurdle in the Senate on Tuesday, as Republicans united against the measure for  the second time in two years. As Lilly M. Ledbetter, the woman whose name was attached to prior legislation to ensure equal pay for women, watched from the gallery, the  Senate voted 52-to-47 to open debate on the legislation, eight votes short of the 60 required. “It’s a very sad day here in the United States Senate,” Senator Barbara Mikulski, Democrat of Maryland, said after the vote. LINK

TPM – Republicans Block Dems’ Equal Pay For Women Bill - The Senate went back to the future on Tuesday. Republicans filibustered Democratic-led legislation aimed at closing the pay gap between women and men. The measure would beef up protections for women who sue employers for gender-based wage discrimination or discuss pay with their co-workers — and the GOP blocked it just as it did in late 2010 when the Paycheck Fairness Act last came up. The cloture motion went down 52-47 — short of the 60 votes needed to proceed. LINK

Washington Times – Republicans Filibuster Equal-Pay Bill - Republicans on Tuesday filibustered Democrats’ latest election-year effort to stoke the war on women on Tuesday, dooming a bill that would have opened up far more avenues for women to sue businesses when they suspect pay discrimination. Democrats fell more than a half-dozen votes shy of the 60 needed to head off the filibuster, but said said they’ll force the GOP to vote on it again in the walk-up to this year’s election. “We’re not going to let this bill die,” said Sen. Barbara Mikulski, Maryland Democrat, who challenged women push the fight. “Put on your lipstick, square your shoulders and let’s fight for this new American revolution where women are paid for equal pay for equal work.” LINK

“As their unanimous vote to deny women pay equality shows, Republicans want to stick their heads in the sand and ignore the reality that American women experience in the workplace every day.

“All across America, women are being paid 77 cents for every dollar that men make for performing the same work. The disparity is even starker for African American and Hispanic women. African American women make 62 cents on the dollar and Hispanic women 54 cents on the dollar compared to white men working the same hours in the same jobs.

“The threat of retaliation looms over women who attempt to address the wage gap in their workplaces, or even talk about the issue with their colleagues. The legislation Republicans filibustered today would have built on the Lilly Ledbetter Act to protect women from retaliation from their employers, and ensure they can discuss wage issues freely with their colleagues.

“This is a common-sense measure with broad public support. Nine out of 10 Americans – including 81 percent of men and 77 percent of Republicans – support this legislation. But once again, the only Republicans who are left opposing a common-sense measure to improve our economy and help middle-class families are the ones here in Washington.”

Washington Times: With No Good Arguments To Make, ‘Republicans Have Been Mostly Silent’

FORMER GOP CHAIRMAN GETS TONGUE TIED, MOCKED OVER OPPOSITION TO PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT.

Mika Brzezinski, Co-Host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe: “Michael Steele, it’s about our wallets. I don’t understand. Help me understand why someone would vote against [the Paycheck Fairness Act], at this time especially.”

Michael Steele, former RNC Chairman: “Well… you know… again, you’re between a, a, a rock and a hard place politically. It’s one of those… those arguments that—you want to be on the right side of it, obviously. But the reality is… what is the politics? What is the, what is the get? … The reality of it is—right now—in this political cycle—as heated and as polarized as it is, a lot of folks will see this as nothing more than a way to back one party into the corner and there’s nothing that’s really going to change beyond the legislation…”

Mika Brzezinski: “Aw, come on. Come on! … There’s just nothin’. You got nothin’.”

WATCH THE VIDEO

OTHER KEY REPUBLICANS ‘HAVE BEEN MOSTLY SILENT’ ON BILL.

Washington Times: “Republicans … have been mostly silent.” [5/29/12]

SENATE GOP LEADER McCONNELL ‘NOT TALKING’ ABOUT EQUAL PAY MEASURE.

NBC News: “McConnell not talking Paycheck Fairness [today]” [6/5/12]

The Hill: “McConnell did not mention the paycheck act in his speech.” [6/5/12]

ROMNEY ‘MUM’ ON PROPOSAL, ‘DIDN’T RESPOND TO MESSAGES’ SEEKING HIS POSITION.

Huffington Post: ‘MITT ROMNEY MUM ON PAYCHECK FAIRNESS BILL’ [6/4/12]

Washington Times: “His campaign didn’t respond to five messages left over the past week seeking his stance on the Paycheck Fairness Act.” [5/29/12]

Washington, D.C. – Nevada Senator Harry Reid spoke on the Senate floor today regarding the Paycheck Fairness Act. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:

Most Americans believe if they get an education, work hard and play by the rules, they’ll have a fair shot at success.

But for millions of American women, no amount of talent or dedication will bring pay equality with their male coworkers.

Women take home 77 cents for every dollar their male colleagues earn for doing exactly the same work.

That stunning fact holds true regardless of whether a woman has a college degree, regardless of how many hours she spends at the office or factory each week and regardless of what job she holds.

If she is an African American or Hispanic woman, the disparity is even starker.

African American women make 62 cents on the dollar and Hispanic women 54 cents on the dollar compared to white men working the same hours in the same jobs.

And while landmark pieces of legislation like the Equal Pay Act and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act have narrowed the pay gap, they haven’t closed that gap.

So Congress must do more. The Paycheck Fairness Act before the Senate would:

• Give workers stronger tools to combat wage discrimination,
• Bar retaliation against workers for discussing salary information,
• And help secure adequate compensation for victims of gender-based pay discrimination

Over their lifetimes, Nevada women will earn about $475,000 less than their male counterparts.

But this isn’t just a women’s issue – it’s a family issue.

Every year, millions of American families are cheated out of money they could spend on groceries, gas and rent.

And every year, wage discrimination puts almost 400,000 Nevada children at risk.

For many families in Nevada and across the country, a woman’s income is the only income. For many more families, a woman is the primary breadwinner.

Yet Republicans have vowed to block legislation that would even the playing field and help women provide for their families – even though Americans overwhelmingly support it.

Nine out of 10 Americans – including 81 percent of men and 77 percent of Republicans – support pay equity legislation.

Once again, the only Republicans who are against our common-sense measure are the ones here in Washington.

Even Mitt Romney has refused to publicly oppose this legislation.

He should show some leadership, and tell his fellow Republicans that opposing fair pay for all Americans is shameful.

Instead, no one knows where he stands.

But we know where Democrats stand.

We stand firmly on the side of equality for every working woman.

Democrats stand with middle-class women working to keep their families afloat during difficult economic times.

We stand with young women pursuing a college education, hoping to get a good-paying job when they graduate.

We stand with little girls whose mothers have taught them there’s no limit to their dreams.

This evening, America will see where Republican Senators stand, as well.

It’s unfortunate they’ll once again favor obstructionism over equality.

In All but One State, Wage Disparity is in Double Digits; Places a Heavy Burden on Women Who Are Their Families’ Primary Wage Earners

Paycheck Fairness Act Set To Receive Key Vote in Senate Tomorrow

Washington, DC – The Democratic Policy and Communications Center (DPCC) today released new state-by-state reports detailing the drastic wage gap women in every state experience in the workplace.  The report shows that in nearly half of all states, women earn over one-fifth less than their male counterparts.  In some states, that figure is as high as one-third.

The report highlights the devastating ramifications for middle-class American families.  On average, women’s share of family income is 42.1%—eliminating the wage gap, therefore, provide a much-needed boost to household earnings throughout the country.  For families in which women are the primary wage earners, the gap creates a heavy burden: Nearly 40% of married employed mothers are their families primary provider. In families headed by single mothers or families in which the husband cannot work due to a disability, children ultimately lose out simply because they rely on their mothers’ incomes for financial support.

State-by-state fact sheets can be found below.

Report Highlights:

• Nationally, women earn significantly less than what their male counterparts do, with that gap ranging as high as 30% in some states.
• In every state except for California, the wage gap is in double digits.
• 38% of married employed mothers are their families’ primary provider, meaning the pay gap jeopardizes the children who rely on them for support.

The Paycheck Fairness Act, introduced by Senator Mikulski (D-MD), would provide women with the tools to close this pernicious, long-standing gap.  The Senate is set to vote on cloture for the legislation tomorrow.  The Senate previously voted on the Paycheck Fairness Act on November 17^th, 2010.

Nationwide
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
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Connecticut
Delaware
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Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
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Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
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Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
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Ohio
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Texas
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Washington
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Washington, D.C. – Nevada Senator Harry Reid spoke on the Senate floor today regarding the Paycheck Fairness Act. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:

When Congress passed the Equal Pay Act in 1963, women working full time, year round took home 59 cents for every dollar paid to their male coworkers.

And while passage of that landmark legislation helped narrow the pay gap, today American women still take home only 77 cents on the dollar compared to their male colleagues.

It’s simply not fair that any woman working the same hours in the same job should make less money.

Often this inequity stretches over decades. And many women don’t even know they are victims.

It took one Las Vegas woman 15 years to find out she made $20,000 per year less than her male colleagues, although she worked just as hard.

She was paid about 66 cents on the dollar compared to her male coworkers, despite being a top sales associate with a Las Vegas payroll company.

And over the decade and a half she worked there, her employers cheated her out of literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in pay – simply because she was a woman.

Her story has a happy ending. She got a lawyer. She settled out of court. And she went on to found her own successful business.

But many victims of years or even decades of gender-based pay discrimination aren’t so fortunate.

The average woman who works full time, year-round in Nevada makes $7,300 less than a man doing the same job.

Although the wage gap has narrowed in the half century since Congress declared women entitled to equal pay for equal work, gender discrimination remains a serious problem in the workplace.

That’s why Democrats overcame Republican obstructionism last Congress to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This law makes it possible for victims of gender discrimination to successfully challenge unequal pay – even if the discrimination has been going on for years.

But despite that achievement, there is still a great deal of work to be done to ensure American women earn comparable pay for a day’s work.

So it’s crucial we pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, a commonsense bill that would:

• Give workers stronger tools to combat wage discrimination
• Bar retaliation against workers for discussing salary information
• And help ensure more adequate compensation for victims of gender-based pay discrimination.

Today women make up nearly half of the workforce, and an increasing number of women are the primary wage earners for their families.

So this problem affects women, children and families across the country.

With the economy struggling and families stretching every dollar, closing the pay gap is more important than ever.

No woman working to support herself or her family should be paid less than her male counterparts.

Yet Republicans are filibustering the Paycheck Fairness Act – legislation that would help even the playing field for women in the workforce.

If it seems unbelievable that Republicans would block such a common-sense measure, consider their track record this Congress.

Republicans blocked legislation to hire more teachers, cops, firefighters and first responders.

They stalled important jobs measures like the aviation jobs bill and the transportation jobs bill for months to pursue ideological battles.

They opposed legislation to restore basic fairness to our tax code.

They’ve twice derailed attempts to stop interest rates on student loan from doubling, putting an affordable education at risk for 7 million students.

They’ve put women’s lives at risk by holding the Violence Against Women Act in limbo over a hyper-technical issue.

And they’ve launched a series of attacks on women’s access to health care and contraception.

They’ve amassed an impressive record of obstruction – and of being on the wrong side of almost every issue.

Unfortunately, it seems Paycheck Fairness may have two strikes against it – it would good for women and good for the economy, so Republicans are determined to oppose it.

It appears Republicans will wind up on the wrong side of this issue as well – sending the message to little girls across the country that their work is less valuable because they happened to be born female.

I was pleased yesterday to reach an agreement with the Republican Leader to move forward with passage of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act.

This legislation will ease shortages of life-saving medicines by establishing effective lines of communication between drug makers and the FDA.

And it will ensure the FDA has the resources to approve new drugs and medical devices quickly and efficiently.

We will consider a reasonable number of relevant amendments from both sides. And I am optimistic that this crucial legislation will be passed on a strong, bipartisan vote.

This week has been a productive one. Democrats weren’t forced to break even one Republican filibuster.

I hope this trend continues, and we see a return to the time when reasonable lawmakers from each party could work together to advance important legislation.

I am also hopeful this week the Senate will be able to find a path ahead to temporarily renew the flood insurance program.

I am committed to bringing a long-term solution with limited amendment votes to the floor next work period. The 6 million Americans affected by this program deserve the certainty long-term legislation will provide.

The collaborative work on this measure and on the FDA bill renew my hope that Congress will also reach a bipartisan agreement to prevent student loan interest rates from doubling for 7 million young men and women.

We will vote this afternoon on two proposals to freeze students’ interest rates at their current levels.

The Republican proposal is paid for by stripping Americans of life-saving preventive healthcare.

The Democratic proposal is paid for by closing a loophole that allows wealthy Americans to dodge their taxes.

It’s easy to see these two proposals were not created equal.

I hope a few reasonable Republicans will join Democrats in voting for a student loan bill that doesn’t put Americans’ health at risk. But it seems possible Republicans will block our reasonable proposal for a second time.

If that’s the case, American students should know Democrats will not relent until Congress has taken action against the skyrocketing price of higher education.

I hope to resolve that issue and many others next work period, when the Senate once again faces a hefty list of must-do tasks.

In addition to a farm bill, flood insurance legislation, small business tax relief and a cyber security measure, the Senate will vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act.

Last Congress, we passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. It was the single greatest legislative step to ensure women have every chance to be full, equal participants in the workforce since the Equal Pay Act of 1963.

But while the wage gap has narrowed in the five decades since Congress declared women entitled to equal pay for equal work, gender discrimination remains a serious problem in the workplace.

Although women make up nearly half of today’s workforce, they still earn only 77 cents on the dollar compared to their male colleagues.

And with an increasing number of women heading American households, this is a problem that affects children and families across the country.

The Paycheck Fairness Act is a logical extension of protections under the Equal Pay Act. It will help close the pay gap by empowering women to negotiate for equal pay and creating strong incentives for employers to obey the laws already in place.

Republicans deny they’re waging a war on women, yet they’ve launched a series of attacks on women’s access to health care and contraception this year.

Now they have an opportunity to back up their excuses with action.

I hope they take that opportunity, and join Democrats as we send a clear message that America values the incredible contributions women make every day.

“Equal Pay Day is a reminder that our nation’s gender pay gap is still a reality that holds back women professionally and holds back our nation economically. When a woman makes 77 cents for every dollar a man makes, for the same type of work, it means less money for families to pay for their children’s education or put food on the table.

“We took a big step to close that gap in 2009, when President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which restored protections for women challenging pay discrimination. But we can’t stop there. We should pass the Paycheck Fairness Act to help ensure women are paid the same as men who do the same work. Unfortunately, when I brought this legislation for a vote in 2010, Republicans filibustered, and now the leading Republican presidential candidate refuses to declare whether he supports measures that protect wage equality. Nobody should receive a smaller paycheck based solely on their gender. It’s disrespectful and it hurts our nation.”

Washington, D.C. – In honor of Equal Pay Day, Nevada Senator Harry Reid joined Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) today in introducing the Paycheck Fairness Act to strengthen federal pay equity laws and ensure equal pay for equal work. Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (D-Conn.) introduced the bill in the House of Representatives. Equal Pay Day is the day that represents how far into 2011 women have to work to earn what men earned in 2010.

“Every week the average American woman must work seven days to take home the same paycheck it takes a man only five days to earn. Sadly, this benchmark represents progress,” Senator Reid said. “That’s why we must all work harder every day, including Equal Pay Day, to ensure every American’s salary is determined by skill rather than gender. The Paycheck Fairness Act is an important step toward eliminating gender pay discrepancies in the workplace, which is more important than ever as more women become the dominant breadwinners for Nevada families.”

“Women make this country run – we are business leaders, entrepreneurs, politicians, mothers and more,” Senator Mikulski said. “We also bring home a growing share of the family pocketbook. But we earn just 77 cents for every dollar our male counterpart makes, and women of color get even less. Inexplicably, these disparities exist across all levels of education and occupation.  In Maryland, the average woman has to receive a bachelor’s degree before she earns as much as the average male high school graduate. This is unacceptable, and with many Americans earning less and operating on smaller family budgets, the issue of pay equity is being felt now more than ever. “

The Senate bill is co-sponsored by Senators Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), John Kerry (D-Mass.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

In 2009, Senator Reid helped lead the effort in the Senate to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which increased protections for individuals facing pay discrimination.  But according to U.S. Census data, women are still paid 77 cents on the dollar for the same job as men. The Paycheck Fairness Act builds on the promise of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and helps close the pay gap by empowering women to negotiate for equal pay, closing loopholes courts have created in the law, creating strong incentives for employers to obey the laws and strengthening federal outreach and enforcement efforts.

Specifically, the legislation:

·         Clarifies the ‘any factor other than sex’ defense so an employer trying to justify paying a man more than a woman for the same job must show the disparity is not sex-based; is job related and is necessary for the business.

·         Prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who discuss or disclose salary information with their co-workers.

·         Strengthens the remedies available to include punitive and compensatory damages. Under the EPA currently, plaintiffs can only recover back pay or, in some cases, double back pay. The bill would ensure that women can receive the same remedies for pay discrimination that are available under other laws for discrimination based on race and national origin.

·         Requires the Department of Labor to improve outreach and training efforts to work with employers in order to eliminate pay disparities.

·         Enhances the collection of information on women’s and men’s wages in order to more fully explore the reasons for the wage gap and help employers in addressing pay disparities.

·        Creates a new grant program to help strengthen the negotiation skills of girls and women.