Denver – Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D) and John Hickenlooper (D) joined the new Democratic majority to reintroduce the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bipartisan bill to strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963, help eliminate the gender wage gap, and guarantee that women can challenge pay discrimination and hold employers accountable.
Introduced ahead of the twelfth anniversary of the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law, the Paycheck Fairness Act would end the practice of pay secrecy and strengthen the available remedies for wronged employees. According to the National Women’s Law Center, women in Colorado make only 82 cents for every dollar earned by a man, adding up to a total of $395,160 in lost pay over the course of her career. The gap is even greater for women of color.
“It is unconscionable that there is still a gender wage gap in this country,” said Bennet. “Everyone, regardless of gender, deserves equal pay for equal work. The Senate should finally pass the Paycheck Fairness Act to ensure our laws reflect our ideals.”
“It’s unacceptable that women are still making less money for doing the same job as their male counterparts — particularly with so many women in essential roles helping fight this pandemic,” said Hickenlooper. “We need to be investing in our workforce and making sure Coloradans, especially working parents, aren’t left behind. The Paycheck Fairness Act will help close the pay gap for good and we look forward to getting it passed this Congress.”
Every Democratic Member of Congress joined Bennet and Hickenlooper as original cosponsors of the bill, along with two House Republicans. The Paycheck Fairness Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives in a bipartisan vote last Congress, but never made it to the floor in the previously Republican-held U.S. Senate. Bennet has cosponsored the Paycheck Fairness Act since 2015.
The bill text is available HERE.