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As We Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Equal Pay Act, Congressman Marc Veasey Calls for the Enactment of the Paycheck Fairness Act

June 10, 2013

DALLAS/FORT WORTH, TX– Women in Congressional District 33 Still Earn Only 85 Cents for Every Dollar Earned by Men.

Congressman Marc Veasey announced that the nation would mark the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy signing the Equal Pay Act into law on June 10.

“When President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act of 1963 into law, it meant that women would enter the labor force and find equality in their pay envelopes,’” Congressman Veasey stated. “However, 50 years after its enactment, we still find our nation plagued with wage disparities.”

According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, Dallas-Fort Worth women are paid 85 cents for every dollar paid to men in the area, amounting to a yearly gap of $7,163 between men and women who work full time. If the wage gap were eliminated, it would allow women in the Metroplex to have more money for essential necessities.

Equal pay is not simply a woman’s issue – it’s a family issue. Families increasingly rely on women’s wages to make ends meet. The economic security of families is put at risk when women do not receive fair pay for the work they deserve. When women bring home less money each day, it means they have less for the everyday needs of their families.

“The continuing nationwide pay gap between men and women highlights the need to enact the Paycheck Fairness Act in the 113th Congress,” said Congressman Veasey. “I am a proud cosponsor of the legislation that will strengthen the Equal Pay Act, ensure gender equality, and eliminate loopholes not seen in the past.”

The Paycheck Fairness Act will strengthen the Equal Pay Act by providing effective remedies to women who are not being paid equal wages for doing equal work and protecting employees from retaliation for sharing salary information with their co-workers.

“On this 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, let us all vow to push partisanship aside, end gender discrimination in America, and pay women equal pay for equal work. Enacting the Paycheck Fairness Act is the right thing to do,” concluded Congressman Veasey.