House passed the Paycheck Fairness Act

Paycheck Fairness Act will help close gender wage gap. By a 256 to 163 vote, the House passed the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 12), introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a bill that will strengthen the Equal Pay Act and close loopholes that have allowed many employers to avoid responsibility for discriminatory pay. Although the wage gap between men and women has narrowed since the passage of the landmark Equal Pay Act in 1963, gender-based wage discrimination remains a significant problem for women in the U.S. workforce. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women only make 78 cents for every dollar earned by a man.