Before the health care reform law, insurance companies were allowed to charge women more than men for the same health plan. “Gender-rating” by insurance companies cost women approximately $1 billion in additional insurance costs per year. Ed strongly backed the health care reform law, which now bans insurance companies from charging women more for the same coverage.

We also have to guarantee that women are being paid the same wage for the same work. We can no longer abide by a system where a black woman makes 63 cents to a white man’s dollar and where Latinas make 53 cents to a white man’s dollar. If we closed the gender pay gap, we would cut poverty amongst working women and their families by more than half and add $513 billion to our national economy. Ed is a co-sponsor of the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and supports the Paycheck Fairness Act to eliminate the gender pay gap and end workplace discrimination.

Ed will continue to fight for gender equality on the floor of the Senate and stand up to the conservative interests who are looking to take us back in time.