“Today marks a critical moment in our nation’s history when President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act of 1963 into law 52 years ago. In 2015 millions of women across the country have become integral parts of our workforce, helping to bolster our nation’s economy through the work they complete every day.
However, unlike their male counterparts a vast majority of these women only earn 78 cents on the dollar in comparison to their male counterparts. By the same token, this number decreases significantly when minority women are taken into account. At present African American women earn only 64 cents on the dollar, while Latina women earn only 56 cents on the dollar in comparison to their white counterparts.
This is not right and this is not representative of the progress women and families have made. America is known as the ‘land of opportunity,’ and not simply opportunity for the few but opportunity for all. As a woman in Congress, I have seen the biases and hardships women face firsthand. As one of the few black women in Congress and one of the longest serving, I have seen at great length how each of these components effect our work.
Americans deserve equal pay for equal work and I will continue to make this concept a priority while serving in Congress.” - Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson
