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House Passes DeLauro’s Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 7)

March 27, 2019

Legislation that would help ensure women and men in the same job get the same pay

A video of DeLauro's speech from the House floor can be found here

WASHINGTON, DC (March 27, 2019) Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 7) by a vote of 242-187, including 7 Republicans.

"The passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act is a transformational victory for working women and their families," said DeLauro. "Women and men in the same job deserve the same pay. Yet, women continue to earn 20 percent less than men, on average. That is wrong, and we need to fix it. The Paycheck Fairness Act tackles this problem head on—giving working women the opportunity to fight against systemic wage discrimination and receive the pay and economic security they have earned."

"This is the third time the House of Representatives has passed the Paycheck Fairness Act. But now, in the 116th Congress—in which we have welcomed the most women in our history—we must pass this bill it into law," continued DeLauro. "I have the utmost confidence in Senator Patty Murray, Paycheck Fairness's Senate champion. She is a serious legislator, and I could not ask for a better partner in this fight. I urge my Senate colleagues to support this bill, put it on the President's desk, and make equal pay for women the law of the land."

The Paycheck Fairness Act would strengthen and close loopholes in the Equal Pay Act of 1963 by holding employers accountable for discriminatory practices, ending the practice of pay secrecy, easing workers' ability to individually or jointly challenge pay discrimination, and strengthening the available remedies for wronged employees.