Congresswoman Chu Praises Executive Actions Addressing Equal Pay

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, President Obama made two executive actions strengthening enforcement of equal pay laws. Rep. Chu released the following statement:

“It has been 51 years since the Equal Pay Act was signed into law, yet we are still struggling to fulfill its promise to women,” said Rep. Chu. “I applaud President Obama for taking action to bring us one step closer to the goals that we all share as Americans.”

“As important as these actions are, Congress must act to modernize the Equal Pay Act if we want to see it succeed,” Rep. Chu continued. “By tackling these issues and improving the economic situation for 50% of Americans, we could improve the economy of this whole country.”

The President’s executive actions include:

• An Executive Order prohibiting federal contractors from retaliating against employees who choose to discuss their compensation.
• A Presidential Memorandum instructing the Secretary of Labor to establish new regulations requiring federal contractors to submit to the Department of Labor summary data on compensation paid to their employees, including data by sex and race.

The executive actions coincide with Equal Pay Day – the day that women’s income from the year before breaks even with their male counterparts’. On average, women’s compensation remains 77 cents for every dollar that men earn, accounting for the 15 months it takes for women to earn what men earn in a year.

When President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act on June 10, 1963, women on average made 59 cents for every dollar earned by men. While women today earn on average 77 cents for every dollar earned by men, this slight improvement still amounts to a yearly gap of $11,607 between full-time working men and women.

The Paycheck Fairness Act – a critical component of When Women Succeed, America Succeeds: An Economic Agenda for Women and Families – provides effective remedies to women who are not being paid equal wages for doing equal work. Its passage would mark the first update to the Equal Pay Act in its 51 year history.

More information on the executive actions taken today by President Obama can be found here.

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