This week, Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard celebrated Equal Pay Day and called for continued action to close the wage gap that still exists between women and men."Women still only earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by men," stated Roybal-Allard. "Equal pay is not simply a women's issue - it's a family issue. Families increasingly rely on women's wages to make ends meet. In typical married households, women's incomes accounted for 36 percent of total family income in 2008, up from 29 percent in 1983." Achieving equal pay for women has been one of the top priorities of Democrats. In January 2009, the Democratic-led 111th Congress sent to the President's desk the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act - and it became the first bill signed into law by President Obama. This Act, a great victory for women, restores the right of women to challenge unfair pay in court. "Although the Lilly Ledbetter Act has been enacted, we need to do more," Roybal-Allard added. "I am also fighting for the enactment of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would provide a much-needed update to the 49-year-old Equal Pay Act by providing effective remedies to women who are not being paid equal wages for doing equal work."

********** Published: April 19, 2012 - Volume 11 - Issue 01