Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today urged passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which would reverse the Supreme Court’s ruling on pay discrimination law in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., and ensure that women who are paid less for performing the same job can seek recourse in the federal court system.

“Our country has made many important strides toward equality, but when it comes to the week-to-week question of paychecks, or the day-to-day issue of financial security, women continue to lag behind.  They simply are not paid as much as men, even when they do the exact same job,” Senator Feinstein said.

“But lower paychecks are not the only problem.  Right now, all Americans are concerned about downturns, layoffs, stagnant wages, and pay cuts.  And unfortunately, in a recession, women suffer disproportionately under almost every economic measure.  

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act takes an important step forward in protecting the financial well-being of working American women.  It reverses the Supreme Court’s parsimonious reading of pay discrimination law in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. so that women will not be turned away twice – first by their employers when they seek equal pay for equal work, and second by the courts when they go to file claims of unfair treatment. 

“I firmly believe that when women work the same jobs as men with the same skill, they should be paid the same amount.  If they are not paid the same amount because of discrimination, they should be able to seek recourse in federal courts. This bill is a necessary correction to a Supreme Court decision that was simply wrong, and I strongly urge my colleagues to approve this critical measure.”

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