Carson Votes in Favor of Pay Equity Legislation
January 6, 2009
January 6, 2009
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman André Carson issued the following statement after voting for the Paycheck Fairness Act and Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which will protect equal pay for women in the workforce.
"For decades, Congress has praised the great strides that women have made towards wage parity, yet has never come close to truly closing the gap. Earlier today, in a major show of support for the victims of discrimination, the House voted to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. I was proud to offer my support to this long overdue legislation, which seeks to provide all American women with expanded legal recourse against gender based wage discrimination.
"In these difficult economic times, as millions of Americans are struggling to make ends meet, it is extremely important that every worker receives the full compensation that they deserve. Millions of women, however, still receive a wage that is almost 25% less than that of their male coworkers. These pieces of legislation will strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to ensure that women are better able to hold their employers accountable for unjust treatment that prevents them from receiving an equal wage for equal work.
"With these first actions of the 111th Congress, I was encouraged by the steadfast determination of House Democrats to quickly bring equality and economic security to the forefront. As this new Congress progresses, I will continue to support legislation that seeks to protect the most basic rights of all American workers."
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