WASSERMAN SCHULTZ STATEMENT ON ANNIVERSARY OF LILLY LEDBETTER FAIR PAY ACT

Wasserman Schultz Statement on Anniversary of Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) issued the following statement in celebration of the seventh anniversary of the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act:

“President Obama’s signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, his first after taking office, signaled to women across the country that equal pay for equal work was one of his Administration’s and Congressional Democrats’ top priorities. As a mother of two daughters who by one study will not see equal pay with their male counterparts until they are 59 and 55 years old, respectively, I am proud to have been an original cosponsor of that bill.

“Our work is far from finished, however, particularly in the Sunshine State where women earn only 85 cents on the dollar for every dollar paid to men. For Florida’s minority women, the gap is even steeper. Florida’s African American women make 61 cents on the dollar for every dollar paid to white men, and the gap for Florida’s Latinas is even worse at 59 cents on the dollar.

“This is unacceptable. I am proud to be a cosponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would build on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act’s legacy by giving women the legal tools and safeguards they need to overcome a lack of transparency in wages. When women are paid less than their male counterparts for the same work, their families have less to spend on goods and services, and our economies suffer. Congressional Republicans should stop dragging their feet and pass this important legislation. Society loses by sending a message that the status quo is acceptable – it is an injustice to families everywhere.”22