Congresswoman Donna Shalala (FL-27) helped pass two bills out of the Education & Labor Committee during its first markup. The legislation debated and passed include H.R. 7, the Paycheck Fairness Act, and H.R. 865, the Rebuild America’s Schools Act. Both bills reflect the House Democrats’ commitment to ensure that all Americans and their families have an opportunity to reach their full potential.
“Ten years ago, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was passed to promote equal pay for equal work. While there has been progress, we still have more work to accomplish in closing the wage gap for women, especially in my district where women make .82 to every dollar that men earn,” said Shalala. “It’s time for gender-based wage discrimination to finally come to an end.”
The Paycheck Fairness Act:
- Requires employers to prove that pay disparities exist for legitimate, job-related reasons and not based on gender alone.
- Bans retaliation against workers who discuss their wages and prohibits employers from seeking the salary history of prospective employees.
- Removes obstacles in the Equal Pay Act to allow workers to participate in class action lawsuits that challenge systemic pay discrimination.
- Improves the Department of Labor’s (DOL) tools for enforcing the Equal Pay Act.
“Child development and economic research make it clear that the first five years of a child’s life are crucial for healthy development and success in school and in life. The school infrastructure our children are in is often inadequate, crumbling, or close to decay. The Rebuild America’s Schools Act will ensure that our elementary schools can offer the option of early child care facilities to working parents. Too often schools are unable to participate in offering these programs due to lack of adequate infrastructure. I commend Chairman Bobby Scott for his commitment to tackling important legislation that will invest in the future of our children.”
The Rebuild America’s School Act:
- Leverages federal, state, and local resources for an overall investment of $107 billion, creating roughly 1.9 million jobs.
- Creates a $70 billion grant program and $30 billion tax credit bond program targeted at high-poverty schools with facilities that pose health and safety risks to students and staff.
- Expands access to high-speed broadband to ensure public schools have the reliable and high-speed internet access they need for digital learning.
- Develops a comprehensive national database on the condition of public school facilities.
