Today marks the Fifth Anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which was officially signed into law by President Obama on January 29, 2009. The Lilly Ledbetter Act restored important and necessary protections against pay discrimination for women and other workers. It was an important step towards ensuring that all workers, regardless of gender, receive equal pay for equal work.

However, we still face challenges as a nation in eliminating pay discrimination. Increasingly, more women are becoming the primary breadwinners in American households. Women are contributing to our economy in a variety of ways as small business owners, educators, business professionals, and caregivers among many other things. Yet, on average, a woman still only earns 77 cents for every dollar that a man earns. We must continue to fight to ensure that we close the income gap between genders, and that women are treated equally and with fairness in the workplace. It is critical for American families and for the health of our economy. That is why I am a proud co-sponsor of H.R. 377, the Paycheck Fairness Act, which will further address the current income disparities between men and women in the workplace. I am hopeful that we will come to an agreement in Congress on this issue, and remain committed to fighting hard for working women and for all working families across my district and across the nation.