Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Despite Last-Minute Changes, Senate Bill Deals Big Blow to Renewable Energy

22 hours ago

Trump-Backed Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Passes US Senate

24 hours ago

Homeland Security Secretary Noem Says CNN May Be Prosecuted Over Report on Migration App

1 day ago

Israeli Officials to Hold Ceasefire Talks in Washington Amid Military Escalation in Gaza

1 day ago

Trump Escalates Feud With Musk, Threatens Tesla, SpaceX Support

1 day ago

Musk Vows to Punish Lawmakers Who Back Trump’s Spending Bill

2 days ago

Will Valadao Spoil Trump’s Plan for July 4th ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Signing?

2 days ago

Shaver Lake and Reedley 4th of July Shows Are Wednesday. Who Else Is Celebrating?

2 days ago
Equal Pay Bill Passed by House but Faces Long Odds in Senate
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 4 years ago on
April 16, 2021

Share

WASHINGTON — House Democrats approved legislation Thursday that they say would help close the gap between what men and women are paid in the workplace, though the measure faces little chance of overcoming Republican opposition in the Senate.

The bill, which is supported by President Joe Biden’s administration, passed 217-210 on a mostly party-line vote. It is the latest salvo in a long-running debate about equality of pay and the government’s role in ensuring it.

Pelosi says ‘It’s Almost Sinful’

Despite their past efforts, including the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 signed into law by President Barack Obama, Democrats say there is still more that needs to be done to close a gap in pay, where white women make on average 82 cents to every dollar earned by men.

“Sadly, equal pay is not yet a reality in America,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “It’s almost sinful.”

The bill would make it easier to sue employers over pay discrimination, curb the ability of companies to retaliate and beef up enforcement of existing laws, including a new requirement that businesses submit detailed pay data to the federal government for use in policing pay discrimination laws. It would also ban employers from prohibiting employees from discussing their salaries.

Resistance from Republicans

Republicans say laws already on the books outlaw pay discrimination. And they counter that the bill would largely be a boon for trial lawyers looking to sue companies while miring employers in burdensome new reporting requirements that would require them to submit detailed pay information to the federal government.

Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, said that “wage discrimination has no place in any society.” But he said the Democrats’ bill wasn’t the right way to go about correcting those wrongs.

“The path Congress must take is to not increase opportunities for trial lawyers, but to continue its focus on strong economic policy that actually expands opportunities for all Americans,” he said.

Democrats counter, however, that existing protections have proved insufficient, including those offered under the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which requires that men and women in the same workplace be given equal pay for equal work.

Greater Disparities for Women of Color

The U.S. is hardly alone in having such disparities. But the gap is larger here than in many other countries, with only Mexico, Finland, Israel, Japan and Korea having larger differentials, according to a study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, an international group based in Paris.

Democrats also note that the disparity is particularly acute for women of color, with Black women making about 63 cents for every dollar earned by a white male counterpart and Hispanic women making even less.

Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., said many women choose jobs that offer more flexibility to balance home and work.

“Democrats aren’t giving the full story when they talk about pay differences,” Foxx said. “Women are making career choices that are best for themselves and their families.”

The measure is widely opposed by business, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which argued in a letter to members of Congress that there are often legitimate reasons for differences in pay between men and women.

“Increasing the opportunity for frivolous litigation would only further serve to undermine our nation’s civil rights laws,” the Chamber wrote.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Dalai Lama Says He Will Be Reincarnated, Trust Will Identify Successor

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police to Hold DUI Checkpoint on Independence Day

DON'T MISS

The Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Story: From Recording Studio to Criminal Trial

DON'T MISS

Four Rescued After Kings River Float Turns Dangerous

DON'T MISS

Hamas Says It Is Studying Ceasefire Proposal Labelled ‘Final’ by Trump

DON'T MISS

Wall Street Edges Down After ADP Shock. Focus on Trade Talks, Payrolls Data

DON'T MISS

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Convicted on Prostitution Counts, but Cleared of More Serious Charges

DON'T MISS

Trump Pulls Back 150 Guard Troops From Federal Duties in California

DON'T MISS

Trump Says Israel Has Agreed to Conditions to Finalize 60-Day Gaza Ceasefire

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Man Arrested for Suspected Arson Hours After Separate Wildfire

UP NEXT

Exclusive: US Congress Republicans Seek $27 Billion for Golden Dome in Trump Tax Bill

UP NEXT

Mexican Cartel Leader AKA ‘Hummer’ Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking

UP NEXT

Conservative Pundit, ex-Secret Service Agent Dan Bongino Picked as FBI Deputy Director

UP NEXT

Judge Blocks Trump’s Immigration Policy Allowing Church Arrests

UP NEXT

Trump Backs Musk as He Hits Federal Workers With Demands and Threats

UP NEXT

53% Approve of Trump’s Job Performance Amid Economic Concerns

UP NEXT

Protests Planned in All 50 States for Presidents’ Day Against Trump Administration

UP NEXT

This Isn’t the Donald Trump America Elected

UP NEXT

Where Will Californians Rally During Nationwide Protest Against Trump Administration?

UP NEXT

Protests in All 50 States Against Trump’s Administration on Wednesday

Four Rescued After Kings River Float Turns Dangerous

52 minutes ago

Hamas Says It Is Studying Ceasefire Proposal Labelled ‘Final’ by Trump

1 hour ago

Wall Street Edges Down After ADP Shock. Focus on Trade Talks, Payrolls Data

1 hour ago

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Convicted on Prostitution Counts, but Cleared of More Serious Charges

1 hour ago

Trump Pulls Back 150 Guard Troops From Federal Duties in California

16 hours ago

Trump Says Israel Has Agreed to Conditions to Finalize 60-Day Gaza Ceasefire

17 hours ago

Fresno County Man Arrested for Suspected Arson Hours After Separate Wildfire

17 hours ago

New California Environmental Rollbacks Could Boost Housing Projects in Fresno

17 hours ago

Iran Made Preparations to Mine the Strait of Hormuz, US Sources Say

18 hours ago

Fresno Unified’s Embattled Nikki Henry Exits. ‘I Own My Mistake. I Won’t Let It Own Me.’

18 hours ago

Dalai Lama Says He Will Be Reincarnated, Trust Will Identify Successor

DHARAMSHALA, India  – The elderly Dalai Lama assured his followers on Wednesday that upon his death he would be reincarnated as the ne...

19 minutes ago

Dalai Lama blesses actor Richard Gere in Dharamsala, India June 30, 2025, in this screen grab from a video. Reuters TV/via REUTERS.
19 minutes ago

Dalai Lama Says He Will Be Reincarnated, Trust Will Identify Successor

31 minutes ago

Fresno Police to Hold DUI Checkpoint on Independence Day

Sean "Diddy" Combs was found guilty Wednesday of prostitution-related offenses but acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking, capping a decades-long rise and fall marked by music stardom, legal battles, and abuse allegations. (Shutterstock)
43 minutes ago

The Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Story: From Recording Studio to Criminal Trial

Four young men were rescued from the Kings River in Sanger on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, after getting stranded in rapids, thanks to life jackets, a rescue boat, and a sheriff’s helicopter. (Fresno County SO)
52 minutes ago

Four Rescued After Kings River Float Turns Dangerous

Palestinians inspect the damage at the site of an overnight Israeli air strike on a tent sheltering displaced people, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, July 2, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
1 hour ago

Hamas Says It Is Studying Ceasefire Proposal Labelled ‘Final’ by Trump

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 1, 2025. (Reuters/Jeenah Moon)
1 hour ago

Wall Street Edges Down After ADP Shock. Focus on Trade Talks, Payrolls Data

Sean "Diddy" Combs and his attorney Marc Agnifilo discuss with other defense lawyers on how to respond to a new note sent by jurors, during Combs' sex trafficking trial in New York City, New York, U.S., July 1, 2025 in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
1 hour ago

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Convicted on Prostitution Counts, but Cleared of More Serious Charges

16 hours ago

Trump Pulls Back 150 Guard Troops From Federal Duties in California

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend