Women deserve equal pay for equal work

In our country, women in the workplace, no matter where they live, no matter their background, no matter what career they choose, on average, earn less than their male colleagues. The wage gap even extends to Olympic gold medalists and World Cup champions playing for the U.S. women’s national soccer team.

This is, of course, unacceptable — so I was pleased when last week, the Senate passed my resolution urging U.S. Soccer to end pay disparities and treat all athletes with respect and dignity — and I thought if we could take that step, we should take another and pass the Paycheck Fairness Act to help make equal pay for equal work a reality for women nationwide. That’s why today, Senator Mikulski, Senator Feinstein, and I sent a letter to Senate Republican leaders urging them to put the Paycheck Fairness Act on the floor for a vote.

“The pay gap between the men’s and women’s national soccer teams is emblematic of gender-based wage discrepancies across our country.”

In the past three Olympics, our women’s team has brought home the gold. Their team is ranked first in the world. But despite all of these tremendous successes, these players do not get paid on par with their male counterparts. Think about the young girls watching, who see these players at the top of their game valued less than men.

This week marks the 53rd anniversary of the Equal Pay Act. But today, women still earn on average, just 79 cents for every dollar a man makes — and the pay gap is even wider for women of color. This is at a time when women, more than ever, are likely to be the primary breadwinner for their family. The wage gap isn’t just unfair to women — it hurts families and it hurts our economy.

When the Senate passed my resolution calling on equal pay for women in the workplace, and on the field, it was a good step forward, but it wasn’t enough. We must pass the Paycheck Fairness Act and make it unlawful for employers to retaliate against workers for discussing pay, empower women to negotiate for equal pay, close significant loopholes in the Equal Pay Act, and create strong incentives for employers to provide equal pay.

The women’s national soccer team has won three World Cup titles and four Olympic gold medals. But despite all of their success, even they are not immune from the pervasive wage gap. I look forward to a day in the future when we finally achieve pay equity, regardless of gender. Until then, I — along with my colleagues — am going to keep fighting on behalf of all women and families who deserve to get the the equal pay they’ve earned.