President Barack Obama on Monday commemorated the 50th anniversary of the signing of the national Equal Pay Act.
Obama noted that there has been some progress since John F. Kennedy signed the bill into law, although much work remains to be done.
The president pointed out that when the bill became law, women on average earned 59 cents for every one dollar earned by men. That figure is now 77 cents. He added the gap is even bigger for African American or Latino women.
"I guess that's progress, but does anybody here think that's good enough?" Obama asked those in attendance.
The president also called on Congress to enact new legislation to close the gap - "like passing the Paycheck Fairness Act, training more women for careers in science, technology, and math, and making sure that businesses offer parents the flexibility they need to excel in their jobs and care for their children."
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