Hoyer Blog Post: Moving Forward with An Economic Agenda that Works for Women

Last week, I was pleased to host a forum on economic issues affecting women and families in Maryland and across the country. With women comprising 47% of our workforce, and with 40% of working women serving as the primary breadwinners for their families, Congress ought to be looking at how to ensure that women have greater access to economic opportunity and equality in the workplace.

While we have made significant progress as a nation since the Equal Pay Act was signed into law over fifty years ago, women still face  challenges and discrimination in the workplace, earning on average just $0.77 to the dollar a man earns in the same job. That disparity amounts to an average yearly gap of $11,084, according to the National Partnership for Women and Families. Eliminating this gap could mean approximately eighty-nine more weeks of food, more than 3,000 additional gallons of gas, or more than one year's worth of rent for working women and their families. This isn't just a women's issue – it's an issue that affects millions of families and our economy as a whole.

We've seen the wage gap narrow in the Fifth District to $0.90 on the dollar compared to a man's earnings, but we must do more to eliminate this inequality once and for all. That's why I was proud to help enact the landmark Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first bill President Obama signed into law in 2009, which made it easier for women to challenge unfair pay practices.  That legislation's promotion of transparency and the opportunity to seek redress will go a long way towards helping to close the pay gap.  I hope that we can continue to build on the progress we have made since then by passing the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would provide enhanced legal remedies for those who have experienced pay discrimination. By enacting this legislation, we can help make equal pay for equal work a reality for women across the country.

Another step Congress can take to support working women is to raise the federal minimum wage. Women make up nearly two-thirds of minimum wage workers, and raising the minimum wage will help pull millions of families out of poverty. While I am proud that the Maryland General Assembly took significant action to raise the state's minimum wage to $10.10 over the next three years, it's time for Congress to follow suit and provide women across the country the much-needed raise they deserve.

At the same time, Congress must also work to support the creation of well paying middle-class jobs. I have been leading an effort in the House of Representatives that would strengthen American manufacturing and bring good jobs back to our country.  Our plan is called Make It In America, and it focuses on four core components: adopt and pursue a national manufacturing strategy; promote U.S. exports; encourage businesses to bring jobs and innovation back home; and train and secure a twenty-first century workforce.   One of the Make It In America bills, which was introduced earlier this month, would help boost the number of women pursuing careers in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields through the expansion of internships, online workshops, mentoring programs, and partnerships between institutions of higher education and manufacturers. In the coming years, we expect to see significant growth in STEM job opportunities, and this legislation would help ensure that more women are qualified to fill those jobs.

In addition to supporting job creation and promoting equality in the workplace, Congress must also take action on other issues important to women and families, including how to support a work-family balance.  I was proud to help lead the fight to pass the Family and Medical Leave Act in 1993, which allows employees of business with more than fifty employees to take up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave to care for newborns, newly adopted children, or ailing family members without fear of being fired.  However, the United States still lags far behind most countries when it comes to paid family leave, forcing men and women to choose between their jobs and caring for children or loved-ones who are sick. I believe Congress can do more to support our families by looking at paid sick leave, an expansion of family and medical leave, and paid parental leave for our federal workforce, and I am pleased that President Obama announced this week new executive actions to broaden workplace flexibility and conduct research into paid leave programs.

Once parents return to work, they face another obstacle in finding affordable, quality child care and early education for their children.  My late wife, Judy, was the Supervisor of Early Childhood Education for Prince George's County and recognized this significant challenge for families in our community. She focused her career on expanding access to early childhood education and advocated for bringing education and a range of services, including medical and dental health services, counseling, and parental support programs, together under one roof. Today, Judy Centers across the state provide these comprehensive services, helping students prepare for kindergarten and ensuring that parents are equipped to support their children's education and development. I've introduced legislation in Congress to expand this model across the country, and I hope that we can move forward so that more of our youngest students and their families have the support, resources, and educational opportunities to succeed.  I also applaud the Obama Administration for its focus on expanding access to high-quality child care and early education, mirroring steps taken by Maryland to expand access to pre-kindergarten for 1,600 Maryland children.

By taking action across these areas – equal pay, work-family balance, and child care – more families will have the chance to access middle-class opportunities. While women have made significant progress over the last several decades, America must do more to empower all those who are willing to work hard so they can get ahead.  I look forward to working with all federal, state, and local stakeholders to build an economy that works for women here in Maryland and throughout our country.