Washington, D.C. – Today Eastern Washington’s Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Chair of the House Republican Conference, released the following statement about the importance of equal pay for equal work:

“Being paid less because you’re a woman is wrong and repulsive. Equal pay for equal work is the law, and it must be enforced to make certain there is no pay disparity based on the fact that an employee is female or male. If the protections already provided to women and others are not working, let’s strengthen them to reflect the needs of our modern workplace.

“Women make up 47 percent of today’s work force; we are an economic force in this country. The conversations today remind us that despite how far we have come, more work needs to be done to update our laws for this 21st Century economy, so every person can have greater flexibility to be successful in both their career and their family.

“This can only happen through a national conversation about how we can level the playing field, so women—and everyone—have every opportunity to succeed in the workforce regardless of their background or walk of life.”