Urge President-elect Obama to Make Pay Equity a Top Priority

I join with the American Association of University Women (AAUW) in congratulating you on becoming our next President, and I thank you for your leadership in the area of pay equity. I also urge you to exercise your considerable leadership and influence to ensure that the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act bills are among the first you sign into law after you assume the office. I ask you to urge the Senate to take up both bills together, in the next week.

Enacting both bills, in tandem, is critical to achieving pay equity for women: the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act rights the wrongs done by the Supreme Court, regaining ground we've lost and ensuring people who've been discriminated against can seek vindication. The Paycheck Fairness Act would create stronger incentives for employers to follow the law as well as strengthen penalties for violations, strengthen federal outreach, education and enforcement, and prohibit retaliation against workers who ask about employers' wage practices. Passing both of these important bills together is crucial. One bill fixes a past mistake, and the other helps ensure that such a mistake won't happen again.

As the 2007 AAUW report Behind the Pay Gap shows, women just one year out of college working full time earn only 80 percent of what their male counterparts earn, even when they work in the same field. With a record number of women in the workforce, wage discrimination hurts the majority of American families. As a vocal supporter of Lilly Ledbetter, the bill that bears her name, and the Paycheck Fairness Act, you could send a strong message by signing these bills into law as one of your first acts as our new President.

Women tend to be hurt first and worst during economic downturns. Especially in these tough times, equal pay for equal work is a necessary step towards achieving economic security for all Americans. Together, the bills can help create a climate where pay discrimination is not tolerated, and give your new administration the enforcement tools it needs to make real progress on pay equity.

Again, I urge you support both the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act to ensure the change hard working Americans need to receive equal pay. Thank you for your leadership on this issue. I look forward to your response.