It's about time and maybe this time, the Democrats can make it happen. It's also about time that the US Congress managed to quit lagging behind other democracies and had proper representation for women, but that's another issue. Equal pay for equal work is a no brainer, which is why the GOP was against it.
The House has passed legislation to assure that employers live up to their four-decade-old legal promise to provide equal pay for equal work.
Democrats led lawmakers in approving a bill making clear that women who are victims of gender-based discrimination can sue for compensatory and punitive damage.
The chamber was also voting on a bill in response to a Supreme Court decision that workers must file a discrimination claim within 180 days of a pay violation. Supporters of changing the law said many workers don't find out about wage disparities for years.
The two bills, coming in the first week of the new Congress, attest to the worker rights agenda of the Democratic-led Congress and the incoming Democratic president, Barack Obama.
