Press Releases

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today joined more than 100 House colleagues in calling for pay equity between the U.S. Soccer Federation men’s and women’s national teams.

“More than five decades after the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, a woman still makes only 79 cents, on average, for every dollar earned by a man,” the letter to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) stated. “Paying people fairly for the work they do shouldn't be dependent on their gender, race or ethnicity. By acting for women now, and ensuring they get paid the same as men for the same work, we can give them, their families and our entire economy the tools to recover and thrive.”

Five U.S. Women’s National Team (U.S.W.N.T.) players – including Seattle Reign’s Megan Rapinoe and Hope Solo – recently filed a federal complaint with the EEOC against the U.S. Soccer Federation for wage discrimination.

In 2015, the women’s team produced nearly $20 million in revenue and won the World Cup, breaking television rating records with 25.4 million viewers in the final match alone, as compared to the men's record of 18.2 million in 2014.

DelBene previously signed a letter calling on U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati to play a leadership role in supporting international gender equality in FIFA.

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