With the Trump administration and GOP Congress so egregiously out of touch with the needs of everyday Americans, it’s critical that we call out their alternative facts and advocate for solutions that get to the real heart of very real problems. One of the most Trumped-up claims is that the gender pay gap is nothing more than a myth. But we know that’s not true. Women, especially women of color, are on average paid far less than men for the same work. This discrimination can be carried from one employer to the next when they rely on salary history to make decisions on hiring and pay.

People For the American Way opposes this practice, and we recently joined the American Association of University Women and 83 other organizations in voicing our concerns to Congress:

Although there are several factors that contribute to the persistence and widening of this gap, reliance on salary history in establishing wages certainly contributes. Employers frequently determine salary offers based on prior pay, which means that women and people of color who have been taking home discriminatory wages are likely to continue to be underpaid. The use of salary history also disadvantages workers who are trying to get back into the job market after spending time away.

PFAW and our fair pay allies are strongly supporting the Pay Equity for All Act:

The bill would protect job seekers from having to disclose their salary history in order to be interviewed, to be considered for a job offer, or as a condition of employment, and from being retaliated against for refusing to disclose their prior salary. In turn, the bill encourages employers to pay employees based on job requirements and prior experience, rather than arbitrary prior wages.

PFAW will continue to stand up for fair pay for all women.