NCJW Applauds House Passage of Pay Discrimination Bill

August 1, 2007, Washington, DC -- The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) today applauded passage by the House of Representatives of the "Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2007," designed to reverse the recent 5-4 Supreme Court ruling that made it harder to recover damages for wage discrimination. NCJW President Phyllis Snyder released the following statement:

"NCJW is extremely gratified to see the House of Representatives take a major step to undo the damage done by the Supreme Court in Ledbetter v. Goodyear when the court limited the ability of victims of wage discrimination to obtain damages in cases where the discrimination was hidden but longstanding. Lilly Ledbetter, the plaintiff in that case, and all the other victims of discrimination over the decades, deserve to be compensated in full for the losses they have suffered in every paycheck. The House vote of 225-199 is a resounding endorsement of fundamental fairness. We urge the Senate to follow suit.

"The President has said he will veto this bill. That would be a contradiction of his stated commitment to equal rights for all. We strongly urge him to reconsider. Our government must keep faith with those who expect to be protected from unlawful discrimination. The President should lead the way."

NCJW is a volunteer organization, inspired by Jewish values, that works to improve the quality of life for women, children, and families and to ensure individual rights and freedoms for all through its network of 90,000 members, supporters, and volunteers nationwide.

Contact:
Debbie Stillman
202 296 2588 x2; debbie@ncjwdc.org