WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) today introduced the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, which ensures equal pay for women and minorities in the workforce. The Senate is expected to consider the bill later this month.

“Women earn just 77 cents for every dollar our male counterparts make. Women of color get paid even less. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 will empower women to fight for fair pay by once again making employers accountable for pay discrimination,” said Senator Mikulski, Dean of the Senate Women. “I will fight on the Senate floor to get this bill passed and one step closer to being ready for President-elect Obama’s signature when he takes office.”

The Lilly Ledbetter Bill was written to remedy the 2007 Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. decision in which a divided Supreme Court held that workers must sue for pay discrimination within 180 days after the original pay-setting decision, no matter how long the unfair pay continues. Lower courts already have begun citing the ruling in decisions that erode civil rights.

"The right to equal pay for equal work is a fundamental civil right. Current law makes clear that no one should be denied fair pay because of gender, race, religion, national origin, age or disability. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act will restore reasonable enforcement rules so that employees who are victims of pay discrimination can hold their employers fully accountable,” said Senator Edward M. Kennedy, chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Fifty-five Senators have co-sponsored the Lilly Ledbetter Bill, which amends Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 so that the statute of limitations runs from the date of the actual payment of a discriminatory wage, not just from the time of hiring. This means employees can seek a remedy based on each discriminating paycheck, not just during the first 180 days of pay discrimination.

Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), an original co-sponsor of the bill, said, “The recent Supreme Court ruling in the Ledbetter case moved our country backwards on the issue of fair pay. In a country where women still make only 77 cents for every dollar, it is outrageous that the courts would make it more difficult for women to receive fair pay in the work place. This is a women’s issue, it is a fairness issue, it is a family issue. And it is time for Congress to pass this law to right this gross injustice.”

Original co-sponsor Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said, “Equal pay for equal work should be a given in this country. Unfortunately, the reality is still far from this basic principle. Just a handful of Senators thwarted our efforts last year to rectify the Supreme Court decision that rejected this standard. With families hit hard by an economy in recession, we cannot allow gender discrimination or any other form of discrimination to flourish in the workplace. I hope the Senate will act quickly this year to correct this unfair ruling by passing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act without further delay.”

Visit http://mikulski.senate.gov/_pdfs/Press/LedbetterSummary.pdf for more information.