This week, members of the Senate have the opportunity to take a
stand on an issue of paramount importance to women and their
families: either they will move to help stop gender
discrimination in wages, or they will turn their backs on women
in the workforce and the families who depend on them. Senators
will either vote to advance the Paycheck Fairness Act, or to
endorse the status quo in which women face a punitive and
discriminatory gender-based wage gap that causes grave harm to
women, families and our economy. The Paycheck Fairness Act is
common sense legislation aimed at addressing the unacceptable
fact that a full-time working woman in the United Statesis still
paid only 77 cents for every dollar paid to a full-time working
man. In short, it would make it easier to identify and combat
wage discrimination, and it would go a long way toward closing a
gap that has been punishing women and families for decades.
Closing the wage gap is critical to families’ economic security.
Nearly 15 million households in t