Barack Obama photo

Statement of Administration Policy: S. 2199 - Paycheck Fairness Act

April 08, 2014


STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY

(Senate)

(Sen. Mikulski, D-Maryland, and 16 cosponsors)

The Administration strongly supports Senate passage of S. 2199, the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would significantly strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and give women additional tools to fight pay discrimination. Today, women represent almost half of the workforce and, in many cases, are either the sole or primary source of income for their family. Despite their increased presence in the workforce and increasingly important role as family breadwinner, women continue to earn substantially less than their male counterparts, and the pay discrepancy is even more dire for women of color. The gender wage gap not only hurts working families, it also undermines the Administration's commitment to expand opportunity for all Americans.

The Paycheck Fairness Act represents a significant step forward to address pay disparities and other obstacles that continue to harm the advancement of women in our economy. For example, the legislation would enhance the enforcement of equal pay laws by prohibiting retaliation against employees who ask about or discuss wage information, and by providing more effective remedies for women subjected to discriminatory pay practices. S. 2199 would strengthen the Equal Pay Act by closing judicially-created loopholes for employer defenses and by bringing its class action rules into conformity with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. S. 2199 would also strengthen the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's enforcement of laws prohibiting pay discrimination, and facilitate voluntary employer compliance, by requiring the collection of pay data.

Barack Obama, Statement of Administration Policy: S. 2199 - Paycheck Fairness Act Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/306045

Simple Search of Our Archives