Sen. Carper Statement on the Paycheck Fairness Act Vote

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) voted in favor of the motion to proceed to debate on S. 3220, the Paycheck Fairness Act. The procedural measure failed by a vote of 52 to 47. His statement follows:

“Nearly 45 years ago the Equal Pay Act was established, making it illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to men and women who perform substantially equal work. Though we’ve made progress in closing the gender pay gap since then, the law currently falls short and fails to adequately address the lingering wage disparity between women and men, an economic reality with significant repercussions for working Delaware women and their families. Today, women in Delaware and throughout the nation find that their male counterparts unfairly make more than they do for the same work, even as more women enter the workforce and provide a significant share of their family’s income. Gender should not be treated differently under the law than other protected classes such as race and national origin. This legislation is a fair and balanced approach to updating this decades-old law in response to what current data show to be a persistent gap in pay for women. While I’m disappointed that there was not enough support from my Senate colleagues to begin debate on this important bill, I will continue my efforts to find a responsible solution to pay inequity and support other measures to curb discrimination in the workplace.”