“The special interests who pressured Congress to filibuster the Paycheck Fairness Act may have won today, but the nation lost — and women and families will suffer as a result. Today’s vote is deeply troubling, further evidence that this Congress cannot pass legislation that is critically important to the economic security of women and families and to our nation’s economic recovery. The Paycheck Fairness Act would protect women from discrimination in wages and promote basic fairness in our workplaces. It is appalling that politics have once again trumped women and families — but the fight for fair pay is not over.

America’s women lose thousands of dollars each year due to discriminatory pay practices that have plagued our workplaces for nearly five decades. Each year, the gender-based wage gap costs women and their families months’ and years’ worth of basic necessities like food, gas and utilities. At a time when nearly 15 million households in the United States are headed by women, this is simply unacceptable — and it hurts all of us.

There is overwhelming public support from both men and women, regardless of political party, for legislation like the Paycheck Fairness Act. The public clearly knows what some in Congress do not: that paying women fairly is not a partisan issue. It is ironic that some of the very same lawmakers who deny there is a war on women blocked progress on this legislation today.

Despite this disappointing vote, the fight to end wage discrimination and unfair pay will continue. We will not rest until women in the United States are paid fairly. We will pass the Paycheck Fairness Act.”