Bonamici Supports Executive Action on Equal Pay Day

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici praised the two executive orders signed into law today by President Obama to address the pay gap facing women.

Bonamici joined the President and Lilly Ledbetter at the White House on Equal Pay Day to call attention to the economic disparity.

“Today is an important reminder of the inequality that remains between women and men. Women are more than half the country’s workforce, but they still make less than their male counterparts for equal work. This pay gap sets them back hundreds of thousands of dollars over their careers,” Bonamici said. “I applaud the steps the President took today to improve transparency and ultimately economic equality.”

Bonamici and 55 other women House members signed a letter to President Obama in January urging him to offer greater legal protections for women demanding equal pay. The letter called for similar provisions to those that were signed into law today, including an order banning federal contractors from retaliating against employees who discuss their pay with each other and an order directing the Labor Department to create new regulations that require federal contractors to report wage-related data.

“Improved transparency will help women learn whether they are paid fairly for equal work,” Bonamici said. “More women than ever report being the sole breadwinner for their family; shortchanging them has far-reaching implications for the children they are raising and the aging parents they may be supporting.”

The two executive orders come five years after the President signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which ensures women legal recourse against pay discrimination.

“Today’s executive actions offer women new protections and support as they continue to advocate for equal pay for equal work,” Bonamici said. “These two executive orders will strengthen our efforts to close the pay gap and get women the compensation they deserve.”