Events Detail

The Negative Employment Effects of the Paycheck Fairness Act

Wednesday, November 10

9:45 AM - 1:00 PM

U.S. Capitol Visitor Center
ROOM SVC 212-10

First Street and East Capitol Street, NE

East Front of the Capitol

When the Senate reconvenes for its lame-duck session later this month, senators will consider the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill that would vastly expand the role of government in employers’ compensation decisions. The bill would require the government to collect data from employers on the sex, race, and national origin of employees, significantly adding to red tape, paperwork, and hiring costs, and trapping firms in costly litigation.

At a time when the unemployment rate is above 9 percent and almost 15 million Americans are out of work, the Paycheck Fairness Act would impose substantial new burdens on employers that would encourage hiring overseas and discourage hiring in America. As the Washington Post concluded in a recent editorial, “Discrimination is abhorrent, but the Paycheck Fairness Act is not the right fix.”

Hudson Institute was pleased to host a conference that analyzed the costs of the bill and its effects on employment from the economic, legal, and small business perspectives at this Capitol Hill event. Luncheon keynote speaker was the 24th U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao, now a Distinguished Fellow at the Heritage Foundation.

10:00 AM -- Panel I: How the Paycheck Fairness Act Increases Costs

June O’Neill, Baruch College, City University of New York

Download O'Neill's paper and read her WSJ op-ed here

Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Hudson Institute

Download Furchtgott-Roth's paper

Christina Hoff Sommers, American Enterprise Institute (moderator)

     Honorable Elaine L. Chao

11:10 AM -- Panel II: How Would Employers Comply?

Lauri Damrell, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Download Damrell's Powerpoint and article

Nita Beecher, Mercer ORC Networks

Download Beecher's Powerpoint

Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Hudson Institute (moderator)

12:00 PM -- Luncheon and Keynote Address

The Honorable Elaine L. Chao, Heritage Foundation

Download Chao's remarks

1:00 PM -- Adjournment