Cherry Hill, NJ-Rep. Donald Norcross (NJ-01) today joined with South Jersey women, advocates and the Girl Scouts of Central & Southern New Jersey in a united call for gender pay equity.

"Women are the backbone of our families and our country. And many of them have proven they can pull their weight and do everything a man can do. Yet, in many cases, women performing the very same jobs as men are earning less. That’s outrageous. This kind of discrimination is bad for women, it’s bad for American families, and it’s bad for our economy,” said Rep. Norcross.

Congressman Norcross urged passage of H.R. 1619, the Paycheck Fairness Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Paycheck Fairness Act, which Rep. Norcross co-sponsored, amends the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and would require employers to document that any pay gaps between men and women are due to legitimate business reasons.

"What kind of message does this teach young boys and girls when women earn less for doing the same job as men? The Girl Scouts here today follow Girl Scout Law which pledges honesty, fairness, courage, responsibility and respect. Congress needs to heed the Girl Scout Law and make the Paycheck Fairness Act law,” said Rep. Norcross.

Rep. Norcross pointed to U.S. Department of Labor findings which show women comprise almost half the American workforce. Yet, for every dollar a man earns, the average woman makes $.79 cents. Black women earn about $.60 cents for every $1 a white man makes. And Latina women earn about $.55 cents for every $1 a white man makes.

“The success of our organization – and for girls – is predicated upon the notion that women and girls have an equal shot to be financially sound and successful in our economy.  It’s predicated upon the notion that the playing field is level and that they would receive equal pay for equal work.  And yet, we are here today because the persistent gender wage gap tells us that this is not the case,” said Ginny Marino Chief Executive Officer of the Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey, who’s currently mentoring a South Jersey Girl Scout whose ambition is to be a CEO.

Rep. Norcross offered remarks about pay equity at the Girl Scouts of Central & Southern Jersey in Cherry Hill, and was also joined by New Jersey Assemblywoman Pam Lampitt, New Jersey AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer Laurel Brennan, and Sally Goodson, former president of New Jersey American Association of University Women (AAUW). AAUW recently gave Rep. Norcoss a 100% rating in their Congressional voting record for the 114th Congress because of his continued commitment to issues important to women and their families.

The Paycheck Fairness Act also prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who discuss or disclose salary information with their co-workers and allows women to join together in class-action lawsuits where there are allegations of sex-based pay discrimination

"Women have shattered the glass ceiling. But aren’t making dent when it comes to wages compared to men. Congress has duty to fix this. It’s time to create a fair compensation system for our wives, sisters, mothers, grandmothers and daughters. If women perform the same work as a man, they should get the same exact compensation. It’s that simple,” said Rep. Norcross.

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Congressman Donald Norcross is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Budget Committee, and serves as Assistant Whip in the 114^th Congress.