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Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Hails The Passage Of The Paycheck Fairness Act, Which He Cosponsored

April 15, 2021

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi hailed the passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act pay equity bill, which he cosponsored. The Paycheck Fairness Act would strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to help eliminate the gender wage gap by enhancing protections against retaliation, ending salary secrecy, increasing penalties for violations of equal pay provisions, and creating a grant program for training women in contract negotiation skills.

"I am proud to be have cosponsored the Paycheck Fairness Act to directly address the damaging gender wage gap in this country," Congressman Krishnamoorthi said. "Though the Equal Pay Act of 1963 was passed almost 60 years ago, women in all industries are still paid less than their male counterparts for the same work. By passing this bill, Congress has taken vital steps to protect women in the workforce now and to provide resources and tools to protect future generations as well."

Due to the pandemic, 9.8 million jobs have been lost since February 2020, and women accounted for 55% of those losses. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women's annual earnings were 82.3% of men's, with Black women specifically receiving 63% of what white men were paid in 2019.