Murray Statement on President Obama’s Signing of the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray released the following statement about the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first bill passed by Congress this year, and the first signed into law by President Obama. 

Senator Murray has been a strong voice in favor of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which restores a worker’s ability to fight for her rights.  The law reverses the 2007 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Ledbetter v. Goodyear, and clarifies that each time an employee is paid less than her co-workers for doing the same job, that unfair paycheck is a violation of the law that can be challenged in court.

Senator Murray joined Lilly Ledbetter at the White House to watch President Obama sign the bill.

“This is a great day for women – and for all workers.  Despite years of progress, we haven’t eliminated unfairness in the workplace.  But with the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, we are taking a huge step toward guaranteeing workers can get a fair chance to fight for their rights.

“Ensuring workers get equal pay for the same work isn’t just about equal rights – it’s about doing the right thing for our families.  Pay discrimination makes it that much harder every day for families across the country to meet their expenses.  So this law is a step toward ensuring they can pay for health care, for housing, and to put food on the table.

“In November, millions of people made their voices heard when they went to the polls and said they wanted to see change in this country.  The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was a great way to begin.”