DNC Chair Tom Perez and DNC Women’s Caucus Chair Lottie Shackelford issued the following joint statement on Equal Pay Day – a day that represents how far into the year women have to work to earn as much as their male counterparts made the previous year:

“Democrats believe that equal work deserves equal pay, regardless of gender. Equal Pay Day is an opportunity, not just to acknowledge that pay disparities still persist, but to recommit ourselves to the work of ending the pay gap once and for all.

“For decades, the Democratic Party has been on the front lines in the fight to close the pay gap. Thanks to progressive activists and organizers demanding change, President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act in 1963, making it illegal to pay women less than men for the same job based on their gender. The pay gap has shrunk since then, but our work is far from finished. Women in the United States still make just 80 cents on the dollar compared to their male counterparts, and for Black, Latina, and Native women, the gap is even wider.

“This is an issue that affects us all, especially families. In millions of households across the country, women are the sole or primary breadwinners. When they earn what they deserve, it strengthens our entire economy and expands opportunity for all. That’s why Democratic lawmakers across the country are working tirelessly to pass legislation like the Paycheck Fairness Act, and that’s why we’ll never back down in the fight for true equality.”