We're mad, we're sad! The Paycheck Fairness Act came to the Senate floor yesterday and was defeated in a procedural vote. This is pathetic. Not only does this hurt working women today, it also sends a dangerous message to employers that it's safe to pay women less for equal work. Outrageous!

"My daughter is going to graduate from college next year, and it's so profoundly unfair to know that the odds are that she'll get paid less for the same job than the young men standing with her on the stage during the graduation ceremony." - Mary

The Paycheck Fairness Act was (and is) sorely needed to update the Equal Pay Act, which passed in 1963, and doesn't reflect modern realities of a labor force that's 50% women. Right now women make 77 cents to every dollar made by men and the pay gap has been narrowing by less than half a percent a year. [1] That means at this rate the pay gap won't close until 2057. Forty-seven years from now! With more and more families depending on moms' paychecks, American families simply cannot afford to wait that long.

*Sign on to our short letter to all the Senators who voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act asking them to explain to their daughters, and ours, why in 2010 women don't deserve the right to equal pay for equal work:

http://action.momsrising.org/go/499

We're saddened by this vote, but we're not giving up. We're in this fight for the long haul. Letting the Senators who voted "NO" know that their vote won't be swept under the carpet and forgotten, and that we aren't giving up, is important right now. They need to know that we're going to keep pushing until fair pay is achieved for our daughters, for their daughters, for our friends, and for ourselves. They need to know that this isn't the last time they'll be asked to vote on fair pay--and that they need to rethink their vote the next time around.

*To find out how your Senator voted on the Paycheck Fairness Act, go here: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=2&vote=00249

Right after the vote yesterday, the MomsRising team got together and shared our thoughts about why we're angry about the vote--and we also shared what inspires us to keep fighting for fair pay. Here's some of what we discussed:

• "Just looking at Julia and at her bright eyes and how connected and engaged she is at 6 months, it makes me so sad to know that if things don't change she won't be valued equally for her equal work. And then there's the part about me: I can't help but be mad and think: My work is not worth less.  There's a clear statement of misplaced values when equal pay is voted down. It's essentially saying it's fine for women to be paid less for doing the same work.  It's not fine!" - Ashley

• "Being Latina and a woman, I know there are two hits on my pay: One as a woman and one as a woman of color.  It's really upsetting that future generations of women of color could experience the same hits.  We must change this. Adelante!" - Julissa

• "What gets me really angry is that I feel that Senators who voted against this are using the bad economy as an excuse, but as we all know it's precisely because of the economy that women's incomes are more important than ever before!  I invite any of the Senators who voted, 'no' to explain to my daughter why she shouldn't get equal pay for equal work when she grows up." - Ruth

• "It's really galling to see the deficit used as an excuse to vote against fair pay. We know we can't balance the deficit on the backs of families and based on discrimination. What happened to the idea of a meritocracy!?"- Anita

For all the reasons above, and for many more, we hope you join us in sending a strong message back to the Senators who voted NO about their vote.

*Don't forget to sign on to our short letter to all the Senators who voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act asking them to explain to their daughters and ours why in 2010 women don't deserve the right to equal pay for equal work:

http://action.momsrising.org/go/499

Please also share this blogpost with friends and family so they too can tell the Senators who voted NO that it's not okay to pay women less for equal work. And so that they too can remind the Senators who voted NO that women--our daughters, their daughters, our friends, and ourselves--also need to be part of the American Dream where if you work hard, you can get ahead.  It's long past time to stop this discrimination.

We’re not going to give up!   Moms are more and more politically powerful every day.  Together we can use that growing power to move mountains. It may take awhile to move the mountain, but the mountain will be moved.

Thank you for taking action on behalf of all women and also for future generations!

[1] U.S. Census and National Women’s Law Center Fact sheet