,,iii #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 ,,con4 ,,res4 #ca ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #be1 #bjbf,ms4 ,hirono 7for herself1 ,ms4 ,blunt ,rochester1 ,mr4 ,heinrich1 ,mr4 ,markey1 ,mrs4 ,murray1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,mr4 ,padilla1 and ,ms4 ,duckworth7 submitted the following concurrent resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,,concurrent ,,resolution ,recognizing the duty of ,congress to meet the needs of working women4 ,whereas the ,congress recognizes its obligation to guarantee equal protection of the law to all workers2 ,whereas this obligation requires the ,congress to safeguard workers from unequal treatment on the basis of real or perceived sex1 gender1 or nonconformity to norms or stereotypes thereof2 ,whereas working families are working paycheck to paycheck and deserve a quality1 affordable life1 which can only be made possible by addressing the needs of the approximately #ge1jjj1jjj women in the workforce2 ,whereas recent executive and administration actions have caused disproportionate harm to women in the broader rollback of workplace rights1 freedoms1 and protections2 ,whereas women comprise nearly half of the ,nation's workforce1 and are essential to the economic stability1 growth1 and prosperity of the ,united ,states1 and make indispensable contributions across every sector of the economy1 serving as leaders in education1 health care1 public service1 caregiving1 and other vital industries2 ,whereas persistent wage disparities1 loopholes in section #f7;d7 of the ,fair ,labor ,standards ,act of #aich 7commonly known as the ,equal ,pay ,act of #aifc7 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #bjf7;d771 occupational segregation1 workplace discrimination1 and gender-based violence and harassment continue to disproportionately burden working women1 particularly women of color2 ,whereas recent progress toward pay parity and gender equity has been undermined by deliberate1 coordinated opposition1 including legislative1 administrative1 and judicial actions weakening civil rights enforcement1 removing workplace protections1 limiting access to essential health care1 and destabilizing programs that support working families2 ,whereas the administration has specifically targeted for elimination such ,federal programs which advance gender equity in the ,nation and abroad2 ,whereas actions of the ,president have threatened to eliminate the ,women's ,bureau of the ,department of ,labor1 which was established by ,congress in #aibj and is the only ,federal agency tasked with advancing economic opportunity for working women and which1 for more than #ajj years1 has concretely worked to improve the wages and working conditions for women across the ,nation2 ,whereas the targeted elimination of equal opportunity obligations under apprenticeship programs of the ,department of ,labor has undermined women's pathways to high-paid careers in the trades traditionally dominated by men2 ,whereas the rescission of the ,enforcement ,guidance on ,harassment in the ,workplace of the ,equal ,employment ,opportunity ,commission has created intentional confusion and left women vulnerable to harassment in the workplace2 ,whereas reductions in staffing1 funding1 and enforcement capacity at ,federal agencies charged with protecting workers' rights and enforcing civil rights laws have weakened oversight of workplace discrimination1 harassment1 wage theft1 and retaliation2 ,whereas women are disproportionately represented in public sector employment1 and cuts to public programs and services disproportionately threaten women's employment1 wages1 and retirement security2 ,whereas the administration has undertaken reckless mass layoffs which gutted ,federal agencies with majority-women workforces1 including the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 ,department of ,education1 ,department of ,health and ,human ,services1 ,department of the ,treasury1 and ,department of ,housing and ,urban ,development2 ,whereas not only are women of color and immigrant women overrepresented in care work1 but the critical caregiving services women provide are often otherwise taken on as unpaid labor by women2 ,whereas the lack of ,federal actions to create a robust1 well-paid care industry harms women's economic opportunity and directly exploits some of the most vulnerable women2 ,whereas the administration has unjustly sought to push ,federal contractors1 grant recipients1 and even private employers to abandon efforts to promote gender and racial equity at work2 ,whereas the administration has sought to erode workers' ability to form unions and collectively bargain for their rights1 who organized as such have won a narrower gender pay gap2 ,whereas1 consequently-- 7#a7 data from the ,bureau of ,labor ,statistics indicate volatility in women's labor force participation in #bjbe1 with more than #dee1jjj women exiting the workforce in the ,united ,states and the steepest declines among mothers of young children1 especially ,black mothers2 7#b7 unemployment among women1 especially ,black women1 has increased under the ,administration1 with ,black women's unemployment greater than #g percent2 and 7#c7 the wage gap between women and men has increased for #b consecutive years1 highlighting the compounded effects of the policy failures described herein2 ,whereas women continue to face barriers to economic advancement1 and disproportionate caregiving responsibilities1 all of which are exacerbated by the cost of living crisis and rising costs of housing1 health care1 childcare1 food1 and education2 and ,whereas ,congress1 the first branch of the ,united ,states ,government1 has a duty to act decisively to advance the rights and freedoms of working women in face of these barriers3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that ,congress-- 7#a7 recognizes an affirmative duty to ensure women have equal opportunity within the workforce1 as a prerequisite for economic security1 democratic participation1 shared prosperity1 and full participation in public life2 7#b7 recognizes that the workforce of the ,nation is stronger1 more innovative1 and more competitive when women are able to contribute and lead across all industries2 7#c7 affirms its commitment to economic prosperity for all1 including-- 7,a7 equal pay for equal work2 7,b7 pay transparency2 7,c7 workplaces free from discrimination2 7,d7 workplace safety standards and regulations designed to protect the health of the ,nation's workers2 7,e7 comprehensive and accessible health care1 including reproductive health care2 7,f7 affordable1 high-quality childcare and early education2 7,g7 paid family and medical leave2 7,h7 paid sick days2 7,i7 predictable scheduling and fair labor standards2 and 7,j7 access to affordable housing1 education1 and workforce development opportunities2 7#d7 affirms its commitment to ensuring that all women1 regardless of race1 immigration status1 language1 or occupation1 are able to work with dignity1 free from violence1 harassment1 discrimination1 retaliation1 and abuse2 7#e7 recognizes the value of all work1 especially domestic and part-time work1 and recognizes its obligation to ensure that such work is dignified with fair pay1 benefits1 protections1 and working conditions2 7#f7 condemns actions and policies that weaken civil rights enforcement1 undermine workplace protections1 reduce access to health care and essential services1 or otherwise threaten the economic security of working women2 7#g7 commits itself to restoring and strengthening ,federal agencies that combat discrimination in the workplace1 including the ,equal ,employment ,opportunity ,commission and the ,office of ,federal ,contract ,compliance ,programs2 7#h7 reaffirms its commitment to ensuring all people can live a life with dignity by raising wages1 including by raising the ,federal minimum wage1 and eliminating tipped and subminimum wages2 7#i7 reaffirms its commitment to expanding access to high-paying jobs across gender lines by strengthening programs that dismantle occupational segregation2 7#aj7 recognizes the right of every worker to join a union1 free from interference and intimidation1 and bargain collectively for fair wages and working conditions2 7#aa7 calls upon ,federal1 ,state1 and local governments1 employers1 labor organizations1 and community institutions to work collaboratively to ensure that all working women have the opportunity to thrive and be free from harassment and discrimination2 and 7#ab7 declares that addressing the immediate needs of working women is essential to the prosperity of the ,united ,states4