The Paycheck Fairness Act cloture vote to end the Republican filibuster is this morning in the US Senate. Women’s groups, including Feminist Majority, the National Organization for Women (NOW), the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), and the National Council of Women’s Organizations (NCWO), have been working hard to break the logjam. The Paycheck Fairness Act already passed in the House, and if the Senate acts favorably, President Obama will sign it into law. The vote is expected before noon today. Women’s movement groups have been working on the passage of this for over a dozen years. The Paycheck Fairness Act strengthens the Equal Pay Act and will help women fight wage discrimination. The gap between men’s and women’s pay is still significant, which is why its passage has been a major focus of women’s organizations. Eleanor Smeal, President of the Feminist Majority, said in a statement, “It’s particularly outrageous that they’d vote against the Paycheck Fairness Act during a recession when women’s wages are especially important to keep food on their families’ tables and roofs over their heads. Women’s organizations are determined to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act and, if necessary, to make it a major issue in the 2012 election.”
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