Democratic Women’s Caucus Leaders Join Leader Jeffries, Whip Clark, Speaker Emerita Pelosi to Highlight Democrats’ Fight for Equal Pay

**WATCH FULL PRESS CONFERENCE HERE***

Washington D.C. – Today, Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Chair Lois Frankel, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark, and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Rep. Kathy Manning, Rep. Shontel Brown, Rep. Gwen Moore, Rep. Jahana Hayes, and Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick held a press conference in advance of Equal Pay Day to highlight Democrats’ continuing fight to ensure women get equal pay for equal work. Today, women earn on average only 77 cents for every dollar paid to men—and the pay gap is far worse for women of color and for moms.

At the press conference, the members made clear that Democrats will continue to put people over politics and fight to end wage discrimination and close the wage gap once and for all. They emphasized the importance of building an economy that works for women, including by finally passing paid family and medical leave, ensuring access to affordable child care and home care, and increasing wages for caregiving jobs that are disproportionately held by women. The members also made clear they will not stop pushing until they pass Rep. DeLauro’s Paycheck Fairness Act, common-sense legislation to increase accountability and transparency to ensure all workers are paid fairly. 

The members were joined at the press conference by Wendy Chun Hoon, Director of the Women’s Bureau at the Department of Labor, and KJ Spisak, advocate from the Women’s Sports Foundation and a former athlete and assistant coach for the Washington Spirit.

“This year, a woman had to work an additional 64 days just to earn what a man earned last year—and this gap is much worse for women of color. And yet there is no discount for paying your rent, buying your food, or making your car payment just because you’re a woman,” said DWC Chair Frankel. “That’s just not fair. And it’s why Democrats are putting people over politics to ensure that all women are paid what they deserve.”

“The fact that today, women only earn 77 cents for every dollar a man makes is unconscionable, unacceptable and un-American,” said Leader Jeffries. “House Democrats are united in the fight to ensure that everyone receives equal pay for equal work and we are committed to getting the Paycheck Fairness Act over the finish line and closing the gender pay gap once and for all.” 

”From Capitol Hill to the Labor Department, from the soccer field to the corner office, women are fighting for the future our daughters deserve: one grounded in freedom and equality,” said Whip Clark. “It’s 2023, and women are still making less than their male counterparts — especially women of color. Democrats have always fought for pay equity, and we call on our Republican colleagues to finally join us in passing the Paycheck Fairness Act.”

“It’s shameful that, six decades after President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act, women still face painful injustice in pay – and disparities are even wider for women of color,” Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi said. “Today, it was my privilege to join the Democratic Women’s Caucus to demand equal pay for equal work.  House Democrats will never stop fighting to unleash the full power of women in the workforce, including with our Paycheck Fairness Act–because when women succeed, America succeeds!” 

“It is long overdue that we eliminate pay discrimination,” said Rep. DeLauro, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee. “Today I stood with my colleagues in advance of Equal Pay Day to demand that we close the wage gap. It is time to make the Paycheck Fairness Act the law of the land.”

“Women constitute the majority of health, home, and child care workers and make up the majority of our nation’s teachers. We’ trust women to take care of our loved ones and educate our children - our future and our legacy - and yet women still earn roughly 80 cents for every dollar a man earns,” said Rep. Kathy Manning. “In a society that relies so heavily on the contributions of women, this is unacceptable. We must pass the Paycheck Fairness Act so we can finally close the wage gap and move our nation forward in the fight for equality.”

“In 2023, it is unacceptable that equal pay for equal work is not the law of the land,” said Rep. Brown. “The gender wage gap is exacerbated for women in marginalized communities. Pay inequality not only hinders women's savings, investments, and contributions, but also hurts our businesses and the nation’s economy. We will not rest until we pass the Paycheck Fairness Act to end the wage gap once and for all.”

“There's an underlying assumption regarding equal pay that men are doing the ‘hard’ labor, and women are performing the ‘soft’ jobs. This is not true. Even when women and men do the same job - women get paid less, and that is why Rep. Rosa DeLauro’s Paycheck Fairness Act is so important,” said Rep. Moore.

“We should no longer tolerate that women, on average, are paid only 84 cents to every dollar paid to men. We know how to close the gender wage gap – provide greater federal investments in care, guarantee paid leave and paid sick days, and put an end to pay discrimination. As we implement historic investments that will create thousands of jobs in infrastructure, broadband access and clean energy, we must leverage every tool we have to get more women into these historically higher-paying but male-dominated jobs and flip the script from failing women to investing in their success, which is good for our families, our country, and the economy,” said Wendy Chun Hoon, Director of the Women’s Bureau.

"Equal pay is not only a matter of principle, it's a matter of progress. We cannot move forward as a society until we treat everyone with the same respect and fairness. Investing in women's sports means investing in the future of women's empowerment and gender equality. Women athletes are not asking for special treatment, we are simply demanding what every woman deserves-- equal pay for equal work," said KJ Spisak. 

On average, women (including part-time and seasonal workers) earn just 77 cents for every dollar paid to men (for full time, year-round working women, the wage gap is 84 cents on the dollar). The gap exists in every state, regardless of geography, occupation, or education. This gap is far worse for women of color—with Black women earning only 64 cents compared to white men, Latina women earning only 54 cents, Native American women earning only 51 cents, and Asian American and Pacific Islander women earning only 80 cents. The wage gap is also worse for moms, who earn only 62 cents on the dollar compared to working dads. In the last two decades, the pay gap has not markedly improved—and the pandemic posed a barrier to progress, in particular for women of color.

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