“Lilly [Ledbetter], thank you for your courage. Adriana [Hutchings], thank you for your courage. Thank you for all those who are wearing the M’s on your t-shirts. You make a difference.

“I represent a number of people in my district, obviously. Specifically, I want to tell you that I’m representing Susan, Stefany, and Anne – my three daughters; Alexa, Ava, and Judy – my three granddaughters; and Savannah and Brooklyn – my two great-granddaughters.  And I also represent husbands and sons and partners who rely for their daily well-being on the wages of their wives, of their moms, of their partners. This is not just about women; it’s about families and what America stands for.

“I got into politics because of John F. Kennedy. He was taken from us in 1963, but before he died in 1963 he said we’re gonna have equal pay. And here we are, four and a half decades later saying we need to have equal pay for equal work.

“It is also critical to family welfare. So, I’m proud to be here with Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi, Godmother [of Equal Pay Rosa] DeLauro, Chairman [Bobby] Scott, and other members of leadership to reintroduce the Paycheck Fairness Act today. With Democrats now in the Majority of the House, we will be advancing [this] legislation. I bring bills to the Floor [as Majority Leader]. This bill is coming to the Floor. It’s coming to the Floor soon.

“The wage gap, where women earn on average – as we’ve heard over and over again – 80 cents. And that’s up [from where it was], but it’s not where it needs to be. It needs to be one-to-one; two-to-two; ten-for-ten; one hundred-to-one hundred; whatever that figure is. Same work, same pay. Gender is irrelevant. It is the work that is performed, it is the content of character, the content of performance that ought to be the criteria – not gender. [The wage gap] is even worse for women of color.

“Four-in-ten families in America are supported primarily by women’s incomes. That’s why I speak for sons. This is an economic issue as much as it is a social justice issue.

“I was proud to bring the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to the Floor when I was Majority Leader a long time ago. We stood there when the President signed that bill.

“So, I’m pleased to be here with all these courageous leaders in our country. They are women. They’re heroes for those eight people that I mentioned, who are my daughters, my granddaughters, and my great-granddaughters.

“Now, I want to introduce someone who also represents, as I do, those who rely on others to help them and their families – who relied on their moms. My mom worked. She worked at the Navy Federal Credit Union, and I have no idea, Lilly, but I’ll bet she got paid less for doing what she did than her male counterparts, and that was wrong.

“Ladies and gentleman, one of the real heroes in leadership for equality and fairness in America, [Committee on Education and Labor] Chairman Bobby Scott.”