Today the nation will celebrate the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy signing the Equal Pay Act – landmark legislation that served as a first step toward guaranteeing American women equal pay for equal work.
At the time, women earned 62 cents for every dollar men of comprable education and experience earned. Today, women make 80 cents for every dollar that men earn. We’ve come a long way since President Kennedy enshrined Equal Pay for Equal Work into law, but the numbers underline just how much further we have to go.
That’s why President Obama and Democrats across the country have been working to close the gap through legislation like the Paycheck Fairness Act. The Paycheck Fairness Act would make much-needed progress toward erasing that disparity by closing loopholes and imposing effective, strict penalties on employers who discriminate based on gender.
Our work, however, is cut out for us. Congresswoman Kristi Noem and her House Republicans refuse to even vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act and as a result, the pay gap between men and women remains.
We can change this. Please recommit yourself to Equal Pay for Equal Work, a fundamental value the South Dakota Democratic Party holds, by sharing this article with your friends today.
Thank you for joining the South Dakota Democratic Party in support of Equal Pay for Equal Work.