Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement on Equal Pay Day:

“In 1963, when the Equal Pay Act became law, women were paid 59 cents for every dollar men earned. Today, more than 50 years later, women still make only 78 cents on the dollar compared to their male colleagues. In California, that figure is 84 cents to the dollar. Candidly, we still have a lot of work to do.

“This wage gap is of particular harm to families, two-thirds of which rely on women’s salaries to make ends meet. In California, where the wage gap is very uneven, Hispanic families are especially hard-pressed. Latinas in California earn just 44 cents for every dollar earned by men, a wage gap of nearly $39,000 annually. We must do more to eliminate this disparity.

“The Paycheck Fairness Act would go a long way toward closing the wage gap. It would protect employees from employer retaliation, require employers to prove the legitimacy of pay disparities and make it easier for employees to take action against employers for gender-based discrimination. Congress should pass this bill to strengthen the economic security of millions of families.”

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