WASHINGTON – This afternoon, Senate Democrats held a press conference regarding equal pay. U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) responded to their remarks by highlighting her bill to strengthen the nation’s equal pay laws. The legislation, known as S. 2200, The Workplace Advancement Act, would protect employees who discuss salaries with coworkers. 

Senator Fischer released the following statement this afternoon:

“Anyone who is serious about moving beyond talking points and making meaningful, achievable progress on equal pay should support my bill, the Workplace Advancement Act. It has already received near unanimous approval from Senate Republicans, and has been previously supported by five Senate Democrats.

“I fully agree with Senator Mikulski on the need to protect workers from retaliation. Through my bill, we can update and strengthen our equal pay laws by empowering women to engage in free dialogue without the fear of retaliation. Unfortunately, the Democrats’ overreaching proposal could hurt women in the workplace by imposing rigid compensation structures that fail to accommodate unique work arrangements.”

Earlier, Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-M.D.) led a press conference of Senate Democrats regarding equal pay. By mentioning the non-retaliation element, Senator Mikulski agreed with Senator Fischer’s proposal, as noted here: 

“Right now the most dangerous place for women in equal pay is when they ask ‘how much do you make.’ And if you ask another fellow worker what they are getting paid, you can be fired. Or if a good guy says we want to tell you what we get paid…that person who tells you the information can be fired.”

Since 1963, the Equal Pay Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 have required equal pay for equal work. Senator Fischer’s Workplace Advancement Act would update current law by prohibiting employers from retaliating against workers who inquire about, or discuss, salaries at work. Fischer’s bill would make it clear that employees have the right to ask how their salary compares to that of their peers, without fear of retaliation. 

The language in Senator Fischer’s legislation is similar to President Obama’s executive order from April 2014. While the president’s directive was limited to federal contractors, the Workplace Advancement Act would go further by providing protection for private sector employees. 

Since entering the U.S. Senate Senator Fischer has been a strong advocate for bipartisan solutions to prevent gender-based pay discrimination. In April of 2014, Fischer first filed her non-retaliation proposal as an amendment to the Paycheck Fairness Act. It did not receive a vote in the Democrat-controlled Senate. 

In 2015, she offered this proposal as an amendment to the budget resolution, where it gained the support of the following Democrat senators: Angus King (I-Maine), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.). Fifty-three Republican senators voting at the time also supported the proposal.