President Barack Obama found space at the end of his first State of the Union address for a warning to employers who might be unfairly paying female employees less than they're due.
"We are going to crack down on violations of equal pay laws — so that women get equal pay for an equal day’s work," he said in the quick reference.
Obama gave no further details, though he was echoing an issue that he campaigned on in 2008 after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. The 5-4 decision shortened the statute of limitations for some discrimination suits, and Congress overrode the decision a year ago.
He also highlighted the work of the U.S. Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, which enforces discrimination laws for state and municipal employees as well as prosecutes civil rights violations. And he tied anti-discrimination enforcement to constitutional protections.
"We find unity in our incredible diversity, drawing on the promise enshrined in our Constitution: the notion that we're all created equal, that no matter who you are or what you look like, if you abide by the law, you should be protected by it; if you adhere to our common values you should be treated no different than anyone else," he said. "We must continually renew this promise."
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