Congresswoman Dina Titus released the following statement today on Equal Pay Day, which marks how far into the year a woman must work, on average, to earn as much as a man earned the previous year:

“Equal Pay Day is a reminder that we still have more work to do to ensure equal pay for equal work. Women account for half of all workers in this country, yet they earn less for equal work. This not only harms individual women, it hurts their families and our communities. With more and more families relying on women's wages to make ends meet, less take-home pay means women have less to spend on groceries, rent, child care, and other everyday needs. In fact, full-time female workers in Nevada lose $2.28 billion every year because of the pay gap.  It’s hard to lean in when you’re barely hanging on.

“I was proud to join President Obama, Lilly Ledbetter, and my colleagues today as the President took action to advance equal pay. The President’s Executive Order will empower women who work for federal contractors to investigate potential pay disparity without fear of retaliation; and his Memorandum will help ensure federal contractors are compliant with equal pay laws by requiring greater transparency.

“I am proud that the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was the first bill that I voted for as a Member of Congress in 2009. But while the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act has been a valuable tool in the fight against wage discrimination for women, it doesn’t do enough. That’s why we must pass the Paycheck Fairness Act to update and strengthen the Equal Pay Act. The issue is simple: women should receive equal pay for equal work; and the Paycheck Fairness Act would provide the tools to reach that goal. Republican leaders announced today that they support equal pay. Well, now is the time for them to live up to their tweets and hold a vote.”