Equal Pay Act of 1963
The Equal Pay Act of 1963 is a United States labor law amending the Fair Labor Standards Act, aimed at abolishing wage disparity based on sex (see Gender pay gap). It was signed into law on June 10, 1963, by John F. Kennedy as part of his New Frontier Program. In passing the bill, Congress stated that sex discrimination:The law provides (in part) that:
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.