Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 12, the Paycheck Fairness Act.  As an original cosponsor of this bill, as well as a cosponsor in previous Congressional sessions, I am pleased to see this legislation on the House floor today. 

H.R. 12 would narrow the wage gap between men and women and strengthen the Equal Pay Act, which makes it unlawful for an employer to pay unequal wages to men and women that have similar jobs within the same establishment.   The Paycheck Fairness Act would allow women to sue for punitive damages, as well as compensatory damages.  Currently, women who seek compensation for unequal pay can only recover back pay, or in some cases, double back pay.  While this bill would increase penalties for employers who pay different wages to men and women for equal work, it also provides incentives such as training programs for employers to eliminate pay disparities and grant programs to help strengthen the negotiation skills of girls and women.

Some may argue that these changes are not necessary, but the numbers speak for themselves.  Despite greatly increased commitment to the labor force over the past 45 years, women working full time make 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man – less than a 20 percent increase since the Equal Pay Act was signed into law in 1963.  Even more troublesome, African-American women earn 66 cents to the dollar and Latina women earn 55 cents to the dollar.  According to a Census Bureau study, male high school graduates earned $13,000 more than female high school graduates in 2006.  Women with a bachelor's degree employed year-round earned $53,201, while similarly educated men earned an average of $76,749.  This same study also noted that the pay difference between men and women grows wider as they age. 

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill to protect women like Lilly Ledbetter from taking their case for equal pay all the way to the Supreme Court, to support single mothers who may worry whether or not they are being treated fairly by their employers while they provide for their children, and to ensure that daughters entering college can reach their full potential when they graduate. 

Thank you, Madam Speaker.