“As our country prepares to observe yet another Equal Pay Day, a dreadful “holiday” that marks the time it takes a typical woman working full time, year-round to catch up with what a man was paid in 2018, the passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act in the U.S. House of Representatives comes as welcome news. This is a critical step forward for fair pay and is good news for women, who still experience a punishing gender wage gap.

We now look to the Senate to bring this critical legislation to the floor for a vote. We urge President Trump to prioritize women and families and swiftly sign this bill, instead of dismantling health care, attacking the reproductive rights of women and introducing bogus paid leave proposals that would do more harm than good.

Even as we note this important step forward, we cannot forget that equal pay goes hand in hand with other issues that contribute to inequality on the job for women. We must build on this momentum to make progress on the range of policy solutions that will help close the wage gap. This means also passing legislation to address workplace harassment; strengthening pregnancy discrimination laws; enacting policies such as paid family and medical leave and paid sick days that support caregiving; raising the minimum wage; and ensuring access to comprehensive reproductive health care.

Women, their families and our country cannot afford to wait for actions on these issues. We demand these long overdue rights and we know the rest of the country stands with us.”