Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) voted today to ensure women are paid based on their skills and experience, not their gender.

“All employees deserve equal pay for equal work. Ending pay disparities based on gender and closing the earnings gap will create more equal opportunity and ensure Washington state’s economic success.”

The Paycheck Fairness Act strengthens and closes loopholes in the 1963 Equal Pay Act and provides effective remedies to women who are not being paid equal pay for equal work. The legislation requires employers to prove that pay disparities exist for legitimate, job-related reasons, assists businesses with equal pay practices and empowers women and girls by creating a negotiation skills training program.

According to the National Women’s Law Center, in Washington state, for every $1 a man earns, women earn an average of $0.78. Larsen has consistently supported legislation to ensure equality for women in the workplace, including the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the Raise the Wage Act.

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