01.29.18

Scott Statement on the 9th Anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

Simply put, there must be equal pay for equal work.

WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on the nine-year anniversary of the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, a law that empowers workers to recover lost wages due to pay discrimination by extending the time period in which an employee can file a claim.

“Last week, hundreds of thousands of women and men took to the streets to demand equal rights, including workplaces free from discrimination and harassment. As we commemorate the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act -- a step towards equity in the workplace -- we must also acknowledge we still have a ways to go. That is why Congress should pass the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 1869), a bill that would update the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to require employers to prove that differences in workers' pay are not based on gender. It would also prohibit employers from retaliating against employees who discuss their pay with other workers.

“I am also working with businessman and Congressman Don Beyer (VA-08) to introduce a bill called the Equal Pay Transparency Act of 2018.  The bill would authorize the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to collect from employers data to address pay gap disparities based on gender, race, and ethnicity.  Combined, these two bills will help the EEOC enforce the nation’s employment civil rights laws and help to end pay inequity as a form of workplace discrimination.  Simply put, there must be equal pay for equal work.”

 

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