Equal Pay Act of 1963
In 1942, Republican congresswoman Winifred C. Stanley from Buffalo, N.Y. introduced H.R. 5056, Prohibiting Discrimination in Pay on Account of Sex, which did not pass at the time. The issue languished until 10 June 1963, when Congress passed the Equal Pay Act ("EPA" or the "Act") as an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act, to "prohibit discrimination on account of sex in the payment of wages by employers."
Government Employee Fair Treatment Act
In discussing the Act's passage, many commenters noted that it provides relief only to government employees. The many contract workers—especially low-wage, hourly workers—facing financial hardship during a shutdown have traditionally never been awarded compensation for lost wages. Past efforts by Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton during the 2013 and January 2018 federal shutdowns to pass retroactive pay legislation have not succeeded. In 2019, Norton introduced legislation in the House again which would affect federal contractors, and a similar bill was introduced by Senate Democrats. In contrast to the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act, these efforts have not received widespread Republican support or presidential approval, and have not advanced in Congress.