H.Con.Res. 28 — Introduced in House

IV 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. CON. RES. 28 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 9, 2013 Ms. Frankel of Florida (for herself, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Conyers, Ms. McCollum, Ms. Speier, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Chu, Ms. Schwartz, Ms. Tsongas, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Kuster, Mr. Levin, Mr. Langevin, Mr. Cárdenas, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Ms. Moore, Ms. Norton, Mr. Holt, Ms. Brown of Florida, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Connolly, Ms. Sinema, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. Cicilline, Mrs. Capps, Ms. Sewell of Alabama, Mr. Kildee, Mr. Nolan, Mrs. Negrete McLeod, Mr. Israel, Mr. Lynch, Ms. Waters, Ms. Edwards, Mr. Gallego, Ms. Fudge, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Ms. Bordallo, Ms. Hahn, Ms. Titus, Mr. Payne, Ms. Gabbard, Mr. Peters of California, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Pascrell, Mr. Castro of Texas, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Ms. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, Ms. DelBene, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Lowenthal, Mr. Delaney, Ms. Matsui, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Watt, Mr. Dingell, Mr. Moran, Ms. Loretta Sanchez of California, Ms. Castor of Florida, Ms. Meng, Mr. Tonko, Ms. Clarke, Mr. Welch, Ms. Pingree of Maine, Mr. Cohen, Mrs. Davis of California, Mr. Foster, Mr. Himes, Ms. Esty, Mr. Higgins, Mr. Schiff, Mrs. Lowey, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Al Green of Texas, and Mr. Clay) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Recognizing the significance of Equal Pay Day to illustrate the disparity between wages paid to men and women. Whereas section 6(d) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(d)(1)) prohibits discrimination in compensation for equal work on the basis of sex; Whereas title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq.) prohibits discrimination in compensation because of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex; Whereas five decades after the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 (29 U.S.C. 206 note), the Bureau of the Census estimates that women working full time, year round are paid an overall average of 77 cents for every dollar paid to men, while Asian-American women working full time, year round are paid 78 cents, African-American women working full time, year round are paid 64 cents, and Hispanic women working full time, year round are paid 55 cents compared to White, non-Hispanic men; Whereas sex discrimination in hiring and promotion has played a role in maintaining a work force segregated by sex; Whereas wage differentials that exist between equivalent jobs segregated by sex—(1) depress wages and living standards for employees necessary for their health and efficiency; (2) reduce family incomes and contribute to the higher poverty rates among women and female-headed households; (3) prevent the maximum utilization of the available labor resources; (4) tend to cause labor disputes, thereby burdening, affecting, and obstructing commerce; and (5) constitute an unfair method of competition; Whereas opening traditionally male jobs to women and reducing occupational segregation by sex increases earnings for women; Whereas when women are paid fairly, families are stronger, business prospers, and American values and the economy are strengthened; Whereas fair pay strengthens the security of families and enhances retirement; Whereas nearly two-thirds of workers paid the minimum wage are women and the concentration of women in low-wage jobs is a significant contributor to the wage gap; Whereas nearly 50 percent of employers either prohibit or strongly discourage workers from discussing their pay, which keeps women from learning when they are the victims of pay discrimination and remedying that discrimination; Whereas April 9, 2013, is Equal Pay Day, marking the day that symbolizes how far into 2013 women must work until their pay from 2012 equals what men were paid in 2012 alone; and Whereas numerous national organizations have designated Tuesday, April 9, 2013, as Equal Pay Day to represent the additional time that women must work to compensate for the average 23 percent lower wages paid to women last year: Now, therefore, be it That Congress recognizes the significance of Equal Pay Day to illustrate the disparity between wages paid to men and women.