•HCON 30 IH 
have less money to spend on goods and services that help 
drive economic growth; 
Whereas if the annual gender wage gap were eliminated, on 
average, a working woman in the United States would 
have enough money for approximately 13 more months of 
child care, 10 additional months of rent, 7 additional 
months of mortgage and utilities payments, the full cost 
of tuition and fees for a 2-year college, 7 additional 
months of premiums for employer-based health insurance, 
up to 8.4 additional years of birth control, more than 70 
weeks of food, or enough money to pay off student loan 
debt in just under 3 years; 
Whereas 
women 
hold 
two-thirds 
of 
the 
Nation’s 
$1,400,000,000,000 outstanding student loan debt, total-
ing over $890,000,000,000, and are less likely to be able 
to pay off their student loan debt promptly due to wage 
disparities; 
Whereas the wage gap impacts women’s ability to save for re-
tirement and women’s total Social Security and pension 
benefits, and older women are more likely than men to 
live in poverty; 
Whereas sex discrimination in education, hiring, and pro-
motion has played a role in maintaining a workforce seg-
regated by sex; 
Whereas sex-based wage differentials— 
(1) depress employee wages and living standards 
necessary for health and wellbeing; 
(2) reduce family incomes and contribute to the 
higher poverty rates among women and their families; 
and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:06 Apr 03, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HC30.IH
HC30
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
•HCON 30 IH 
(3) prevent the effective and maximum utilization of 
available labor resources; 
Whereas a wage gap exists in nearly every occupational field, 
but opening traditionally male jobs to women and reduc-
ing occupational segregation by sex increases earnings for 
women; 
Whereas nearly two-thirds of workers paid the minimum 
wage or less are women and the concentration of women 
in low-wage jobs is a significant contributor to the wage 
gap; 
Whereas the gender wage gap between union women and men 
is about half the size of the wage gap between nonunion 
women and men, and women union members typically 
earn $224 more per week than women who are not rep-
resented by unions; 
Whereas as much as 38 percent of the wage gap is unex-
plained by observable factors such as variation in edu-
cational attainment, industry, and occupation, and may 
reflect discrimination; 
Whereas two-thirds of private sector workers report that em-
ployers either prohibit or discourage them from dis-
cussing their pay, which can keep the existence of pay 
discrimination hidden and prevent remedying that dis-
crimination; 
Whereas the lack of family friendly policies, such as access 
to affordable, quality child care, paid family and medical 
leave, paid sick days, and fair and predictable work 
schedules, forces many caregivers to choose between pro-
viding for their families financially and ensuring their 
loved ones receive quality care, and contributes to the 
wage gap; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:06 Apr 03, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HC30.IH
HC30
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
•HCON 30 IH 
Whereas 60 to 70 percent of women have been on the receiv-
ing end of sexual harassment during their careers, and 
an estimated 87 to 94 percent of those who experience 
sexual harassment never file a formal complaint; 
Whereas workplace harassment forces many women to leave 
their occupation or industry, or pass up opportunities for 
advancement, and this contributes to the gender wage 
gap; 
Whereas equal pay strengthens the economic security of fami-
lies and enhances retirement savings; 
Whereas when women are paid fairly, families are stronger, 
businesses prosper, and American values and the econ-
omy are strengthened; 
Whereas if women in the United States received equal pay 
comparable with men, poverty for working women would 
be reduced by half and the economy would add 
$512,000,000,000 annually, based on a 2017 analysis; 
and 
Whereas numerous national organizations have designated 
Tuesday, April 2, 2019, as Equal Pay Day to represent 
the additional time that women must work to compensate 
for the average 20-percent lower wages paid to women 
last year: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress— 
(1) recognizes the disparity between wages paid 
to women and men, and its impact on women, fami-
lies, and the Nation; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:21 Apr 03, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HC30.IH
HC30
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
•HCON 30 IH 
(2) reaffirms its commitment to supporting 
equal pay for equal work and to narrowing the gen-
der wage gap. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:06 Apr 03, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HC30.IH
HC30
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS