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Transcript of Press Conference on Equal Pay Day

March 15, 2022

Washington, D.C. – Speaker Pelosi joined the House Democratic Women's Caucus, Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh and equal pay advocates for a press conference on Equal Pay Day. Below are the Speaker's remarks:

Speaker Pelosi. This is pretty exciting for us. It's a pleasure to welcome so many advocates for working women this Equal Pay Day. Let us salute our hosts – they're two Co-Chairs of the Democratic Women's Caucus: Congresswoman Jackie Speier of California and Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence of Michigan. And thank you to the Secretary. Mr. Secretary, it's an honor to welcome you to the Capitol because you are such a devoted champion for working families. And Wendy Chun-Hoon, Director of the Labor Department's Women's Bureau – we'll hear from her – Sarah Jane Glynn, Senior Advisor for the Women's Bureau. These women, these leaders in the Labor Department, are so focused on this important issue.

And our very VIPs today – I know everybody will understand, with all the respect we have for our guests that I introduced – our VIPs today: Leah Rambo, Training Director of SMART Local 28, and Bethany Fauteux, an advocate for Family's Value @ Work – Family Values @ Work. They have the stories of America's working families.

As we know, today marks when – the day when women's wages catch up to men's income from last year. A gap of 83 cents on the dollar. I said to our friends earlier – before I had to take this call – that, can you imagine, one of these days, young people will look back and say: ‘Can you believe there was a time when women did not make the same amount of men – as men did for the same work?'

Again, this disparity costs more than $400,000 over a career. Imagine what that means in money for rent, bills, food, groceries, lower credit scores – lower credit scores – and costlier loans, and it has a big impact on women's retirement. We'll hear the Labor Department is releasing a report that found that the pandemic compounded these inequities, especially for mothers and women of color.

Last year, the Democratic House proudly took action to help right this wrong by once again passing Chair Rosa DeLauro's, Rosa DeLauro – whether it's Child Tax Credit or any of these issues, in this case the Paycheck Fairness Act, which will end paycheck and pay secrecy, you know what that is – and empower women to hold employers accountable for pay discrimination.

Well, let's hear from our folks right now. And next, we're going to hear from the distinguished former Mayor of the City of Boston, former member of the labor movement – maybe you still are a member of the labor movement.

Secretary Walsh. A little bit, yeah.

[Laughter]

Speaker Pelosi. Still a member of the labor movement – a person who really understands the needs of America's working families, has been a leader on their behalf. We're very honored to have with us the distinguished Secretary of Labor, Secretary Walsh.

***

Speaker Pelosi. Thank you. Thank you very much, Secretary Walsh.

My colleagues, Jackie Speier and Brenda Lawrence, our special guests Bethany Fauteux and again, Leah Rambo – telling their stories, right from the workplace. And of course, we were greatly informed by what Wendy Chun-Hoon and Sarah Jane Glynn told us about these figures.

What was – a writer once said: ‘The sign of a truly intelligent person is that they're swayed by statistics.' These statistics are staggering. They're not only staggering; they're heartbreaking. And again, President Kennedy, many years ago, established the first Equal Pay [Act]. And President Obama pass – signed the bill. And he signed that bill and President Obama signed the bill, the Lilly Ledbetter bill.

This President, President Biden, is doing so many things – as has been referenced – in the infrastructure bill and the rest – to have opportunity for women, whether it's workforce development, whether it's apprenticeships and the rest. But also, in other legislation that will say that we have universal pre-K, that, that we have lower costs for health – for child care, lower costs for health care, home health care and respecting the work that women do as health care providers. There's a decision – I mean, we were talking about survival for some people. We want them to have success as we go forward. But to do that, we have to be transformational in how we recognize the challenge that we face and pass legislation and establish public policy to make the difference for women.

And this Women's History Month, last week, we celebrated Title IX – 50-year anniversary coming up in another month or two – honoring Patsy Mink, who established that. You mentioned – you mentioned Shirley Chisholm, who had so many great things to say about this. And now, we have our role to play in all of this. And again, maybe next year, as Congresswoman Lawrence said, maybe next year, we will have passed a bill for equal pay for equal work and this will be a sad remnant of the past.

But thank you, Secretary Walsh, for your leadership in this in every aspect of your personal and professional life, your official role now – then as mayor, and now as Secretary of Labor. I know that women's issues will be well served by the great team that you have there to face the fact of what these statistics are. And what they mean at the kitchen table of America's working families. And understand – I mean, men have responsibilities at home, too. We want them to benefit from child care and the rest. But lowering the cost of child care is one of the most important things that we can do to make sure that women can take their comfortable, rightful place in the workforce without worrying about the safety and security of their children. All of these things are connected.

We're very, very proud to have, as I said, our special guests Leah Rambo and Bethany Fauteux. Thank you so much for honoring us with your presence – and I like your shirt. I like your shirt.

Thank you all very much, and thank you Mr. Secretary.