Title: Recognizing the significance of equal pay and the disparity in wages paid to Black women in comparison to men.
Policy area: Labor and Employment

Summary:
This concurrent resolution recognizes the disparity in wages paid to Black women and its impact on women, families, and the nation, and reaffirms Congress' support for ensuring equal pay and closing the gender wage gap.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 59 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 59

 Recognizing the significance of equal pay and the disparity in wages 
               paid to Black women in comparison to men.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 23, 2019

  Ms. Adams (for herself, Mrs. Lawrence, Ms. Frankel, Ms. Speier, Ms. 
   Escobar, Ms. Haaland, Ms. Bass, Ms. DeLauro, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. 
 Cohen, Mr. Vargas, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Ms. Jayapal, 
Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Serrano, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. 
 Hastings, Mr. Blumenauer, Ms. Pressley, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Kelly of 
Illinois, Mr. Soto, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. Larson of 
Connecticut, Ms. Norton, Mr. Trone, Mr. Sablan, Ms. Fudge, Mr. Khanna, 
Ms. Johnson of Texas, and Ms. Moore) submitted the following concurrent 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the significance of equal pay and the disparity in wages 
               paid to Black women in comparison to men.

Whereas, August 22, 2019, is Black Women's Equal Pay Day, which marks the day 
        that symbolizes how long into 2019 Black women must work to make what 
        men were paid in 2018;
Whereas section 6(d) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 
        206(d)(1)) prohibits discrimination in wages on the basis of sex for 
        equal work;
Whereas title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq.) 
        prohibits discrimination in compensation because of race, color, 
        religion, national origin, or sex;
Whereas despite the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 (29 U.S.C. 206 note) 
        more than 5 decades ago, which establishes that employers shall not 
        discriminate in wages on the basis of sex, but shall provide equal pay 
        for equal work, Census Bureau data shows that Black women working full-
        time, year-round are typically paid 61 cents for every dollar paid to 
        White, non-Hispanic men;
Whereas if the current trends continue, on average Black women will have to wait 
        100 years to achieve equal pay;
Whereas the median annual pay for a Black woman in the United States working 
        full-time, year-round is $36,735, which means that typically Black women 
        lose nearly $947,000 in potential earnings over their lifetime to the 
        wage gap;
Whereas lost wages mean Black women have less money to support themselves and 
        their families, save and invest for the future, and spend on goods and 
        services, causing businesses and the economy to suffer as a result;
Whereas Black women's median earnings are less than men's at every level of 
        academic achievement, with Black women with less than a high school 
        diploma earning 24 percent less than White men, and Black women with an 
        advanced degree earning 36 percent less than White men with the same 
        level of education;
Whereas, in the United States, more than 80 percent of Black mothers are key 
        breadwinners for their families, but mothers working full-time are 
        typically paid only 54 percent as much as White fathers;
Whereas the lack of access to affordable, quality child care, paid family and 
        medical leave, paid sick leave, and other family friendly workplace 
        policies forces many Black women to choose between their paycheck or job 
        and getting quality care for themselves or their family members, and 
        contributes to the wage gap;
Whereas, if the wage gap were eliminated, on average, a Black woman working 
        full-time, year-round would have enough money for approximately 2 and a 
        half years of child care; more than 2.6 additional years of tuition and 
        fees for a 4-year public university, or the full cost of tuition and 
        fees for a 2-year community college; nearly 17 additional months of 
        premiums for employer-based health insurance; 165 more weeks of food for 
        her family (more than 3 years worth); more than 15 additional months of 
        mortgage and utilities payments; 23 more months of rent; nearly 20 
        additional years of birth control; or enough money to pay off student 
        loan debt in just over 1 year;
Whereas 25 to 85 percent of women have been sexually harassed at the workplace, 
        and research has found that only a small number of those who experience 
        harassment, or about 1 in 10, formally report incidents for reasons 
        including lack of access to the complaints processes and fear of 
        retaliation;
Whereas workplace harassment forces many women to leave their occupation or 
        industry with targets of harassment being 6.5 times more likely as non-
        targets to change jobs or pass up opportunities for advancement, and 
        this contributes to the gender wage gap;
Whereas Black women experience workplace harassment and discrimination at high 
        rates. In a recent survey, 61 percent of Black women reported 
        experiencing racial discrimination and 28 percent reported being ``very 
        worried'' about sexual harassment at work and the EEOC reports that 
        Black women file workplace sexual harassment complaints 3 times as often 
        as White women;
Whereas nearly two-thirds of workers paid the minimum wage or less are women and 
        there is a disproportionate concentration of women of color in low-wage 
        and tipped jobs;
Whereas more than 40 percent of private sector employees say that discussion of 
        wage and salary information is discouraged and another 25 percent report 
        that it is formally prohibited, which can hide pay discrimination and 
        prevent remedies;
Whereas the pay disparity Black women face is part of a wider set of disparities 
        Black women face in homeownership, unemployment, poverty, access to 
        child care, and the ability to accumulate wealth;
Whereas in 2017 the gender wage gap widened for Black women;
Whereas true pay equity requires a multi-faceted strategy that addresses the 
        gendered and racial injustices that Black women face daily; and
Whereas many national organizations have designated August 22, 2019, as Black 
        Women's Equal Pay Day to represent the additional time that women must 
        work to compensate for the lower wages paid to Black women last year: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) recognizes the disparity in wages paid to Black women, 
        and its impact on women, families, and the Nation; and
            (2) reaffirms its support for ensuring equal pay and 
        closing the gender wage gap.
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