In the News

In 1963, President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act at a time when women were paid 59 cents for every dollar paid to men. Since then, we have made great progress, and our economy has been transformed by women in the workforce. Yet, even as we see women appointed to the Supreme Court and to executive leadership roles in Fortune 500 companies, the typical woman in Washington state today still only earns 76 percent of what the typical man does. This means we have one of the widest wage gaps in the entire country. For a state like Washington, where we pride ourselves on our progressive values and our commitment to equality, this is unacceptable.

This pay gap has real life consequences for women and their families. To help put the wage gap into perspective, consider that the average woman in the United States today earns $11,000 less per year than her male counterpart. At a time when a growing number of women are the primary breadwinners in their families, the pay gap results in fewer dollars that can be spent on basic household needs, on savings for children's education or on retirement. And at a time when too many women and children are facing serious economic insecurity, achieving equal pay for women has the potential to significantly reduce the poverty rate of working women.

Unfortunately, our nation's outdated policies are currently doing more to limit opportunities for women than to expand them. Too many women and children are facing serious economic insecurity, either living in poverty or on the brink of it. Too many women don't receive paid sick time and are forced to go without pay to care for their family's health. Too many pregnant women are still facing discrimination at work, and too many mothers are having trouble finding affordable, quality childcare for their kids.

That is why it's so important that Congress take meaningful actions now to close the wage gap and expand opportunity for women.

In Congress, I have joined my colleagues in offering a legislative agenda that will address the economic challenges facing women and families today. This agenda is based on a simple principle: When women succeed, America succeeds. It includes a number of concrete, commonsense policy proposals that focus on guaranteeing equal pay, balancing work and family, and expanding access to affordable childcare. By moving forward on these key policy goals, we can help open the door to opportunity for millions of women and their families.

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