Today, U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) released the following statement after he helped pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which strengthens current equal pay and civil rights laws to give women more tools to contest unfair pay:

“In 2019, women still earn just 80 cents, on average, for every dollar earned by men. It is past time to give every American equal economic opportunity—regardless of gender. Existing loopholes put women at a disadvantage when negotiating fair pay. The Paycheck Fairness Act improves the Department of Labor’s enforcement tools and ensures that any pay disparity is based on legitimate, job-related reasons, and not gender.

In my office, male and female employees are paid the same commensurate with experience. I remain a fierce advocate for paycheck equality, and urge the Senate to pass this bill soon to support American women.”

The Paycheck Fairness Act also includes the following provisions to strengthen women’s pay protections in the workplace:

• Bans employers using past salary history to determine future pay, stopping pay inequities from trailing women from job to job
• Prohibits employer retaliation against employees who willingly disclose salary details
• Expands opportunities for women to join class-action lawsuits that target nation-wide pay discrimination