{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-cherfilus-mccormick-and-pressley-introduce-resolution-recognizing", "Reps. Cherfilus-McCormick and Pressley Introduce Resolution Recognizing Disabled Women\u2019s Equal Pay Day", "2025-10-24", "2025", "2025-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick", "C001127", "cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov", "cherfilus-mccormick", "https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014Thursday, October 23, 2025, marks Disabled Women\u2019s Equal Pay Day. In recognition of this day, Representatives Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20) and Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) introduced the Disabled Women\u2019s Equal Pay Day Resolution. This resolutionunderscores the importance of equal pay and draws attention to the persistent wage gap between disabled women and both disabled and non-disabled men.\n\nMore than sixty years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, disabled women continue to face significant economic hardship. The ongoing pay disparity harms women, families, and the nation as a whole. This resolution reaffirms members\u2019 commitment to closing the gender, disability, and racial wage gap.\n\n\u201cOur workforce deserves equity and respect. The fact that disabled women veterans earned, on average, just 62 cents for every dollar paid to non-disabled male veterans in 2022 is unacceptable,\u201d said Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick. \u201cEqual pay is not only a matter of fairness, but also a matter of dignity and justice. Disabled women contribute to every sector of our economy, and their work must be valued and compensated accordingly.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor disabled women to be paid just 56 cents for every dollar paid to nondisabled men is an insult and an injustice,\u201d said Rep. Ayanna Pressley. \u201cIt is long past time for disabled women to be paid fairly. Last year, I was honored to commemorate the first-ever Disabled Women\u2019s Equal Pay Day with Congresswoman Wexton. I am grateful to uphold this commemoration this year alongside Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick, continue our calls for change, and affirm that disabled women deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.\"\n\n\u201cDisabled women face one of the widest wage gaps in our economy due to policy failures that limit opportunity and fair pay,\u201d said Taryn Williams, senior fellow for disability at the National Partnership for Women & Families. \u201cYet instead of working to close this gap, the Trump Administration has weakened equal employment protections, and a Republican-led Congress has advanced devastating Medicaid cuts that threaten disabled women\u2019s health, independence, and economic security. On this Disabled Women\u2019s Equal Pay Day, we\u2019re calling on lawmakers to advance policy solutions that help disabled women survive and thrive \u2014 whether or not they are in the workforce.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe wage gap costs disabled women tens of thousands of dollars each year, and many disabled women of color stand to lose even more,\u201d said Gaylynn Burroughs, vice president for education and workplace justice at the National Women\u2019s Law Center. \u201cPay equity for disabled women is about justice \u2014 and this wage gap is the result of policy choices that must be changed. The Trump administration\u2019s attacks on civil rights and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are doing nothing to close the wage gap and will only close off avenues to economic security. We need public investments and policies that not only close the wage gap but allow all disabled women and their families to thrive.\u201d\n\n\"Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) give disabled workers the essential supports they need to find and keep good jobs,\u201d said Nina Stoller, Policy Coordinator, Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN). \u201cIn honor of Disabled Women\u2019s Equal Pay Day 2025, The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) encourages advocates to meet with their state governors and lawmakers about adequately funding HCBS in their state budgets.\u201d\n\n\"Unequal pay and inaccessible workplaces aren\u2019t just unfair, they\u2019re disabling,\u201d said Kenrya Rankin (she/her), Managing Director at Disability Culture Lab. \u201cBlack disabled women are in a particularly difficult place right now, as we face record job losses and juggle caregiving for our children, our parents, and ourselves. And capitalism \u2014 plus the current Administration \u2014 demand that we do it all without accommodations. We need to invest in Black women, but this Administration would rather implement policies that further disable us.\u201d\n\n\"While the Trump Administration attacks disabled people's most basic human rights, autonomy, livelihoods, and economic opportunities, Disabled Women's Equal Pay Day provides an important reminder of the power of building and cultivating community,\u201d said Marissa Ditkowsky, Executive Director of the National Disabled Legal Professionals Association. \u201cOur asks this Disabled Women's Equal Pay Day are the bare minimum: disabled women, particularly multiply marginalized disabled women, deserve joy. We deserve to thrive. And if we so choose, we deserve to find meaningful, competitive, and integrated employment that fulfills us and allows us to achieve economic prosperity.\u201d\n\n\u201cOn behalf of the Equal Pay Today Coalition, we are grateful to Representatives Cherfilus-McCormick and Pressley for introducing the Disabled Women\u2019s Equal Pay Day Resolution,\u201d said Deborah J. Vagins, National Campaign Director, Equal Rights Advocates & Director of Equal Pay Today. \u201cOn this day, we raise awareness about the ableism, institutionalization, and workplace discrimination that has created barriers, trapping disabled women in poverty and perpetuating their egregious wage gaps. We must end segregated workplaces and subminimum wages, prevent draconian rules for public benefits, stop dismantling healthcare protections, and end the Trump Administration\u2019s baseless attacks on disabled workers\u2019 equal opportunities. All of these policy choices have forced many disabled women into poverty and drive one of the widest wage gaps experienced by women. It is time to end this disgrace.\u201d\n\nThe resolution is endorsed by the Democratic Women\u2019s Caucus, National Partnership for Women & Families, American Association of University Women (AAUW), Association of People Supporting EmploymentFirst (APSE), Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network, Disability Culture Lab (DCL), Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF), Equal Pay Today Coalition, Equal Rights Advocates, Institute for Women's Policy Research, Justice for Migrant Women, National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), National Disabled Legal Professionals Association, National Employment Law Project, National Women\u2019s Law Center Action Fund, and PowHer New York, A Better Balance, National Disability Institute.\n\nA copy of the resolution can be found here.", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-cherfilus-mccormick-and-pressley-introduce-resolution-recognizing"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7477602921426296, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}