Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) today issued the following statement after voting in support of the Paycheck Fairness Act, legislation that helps to close the income gap between men and women by allowing women to challenge pay inequality and demand equal pay for equal work. The vote failed today in the Senate 52-40.
“Today I stood up for women in New Jersey and across the nation by voting to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act. Fathers, sons, and brothers also feel the economic and emotional consequences when women in their family aren’t paid fairly. We have an ethical and moral obligation to protect the contributions of women in our labor force,” said Sen. Booker.
“We undermine the potential of all working women when we don’t challenge the wage gap,” Booker added. “Together, I believe we can strengthen our workforce and support middle class families by taking a stand and addressing this injustice.”
Women’s rights are a top priority for Sen. Booker. In April, he voted in support of the Paycheck Fairness Act. In May, he supported increasing the minimum wage, which would give over 15 million women a raise, including more than one in five working mothers. Sen. Booker has also hosted a series of forums geared toward helping small business owners, and particularly women entrepreneurs who often lack much needed access to capital. He also supports expanding the Family and Medical Leave Act to give more flexibility to working mothers.
