Obama signed Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

Obama signed his first bill into law approving equal-pay legislation. Obama said that it would “send a clear message that making our economy work means making sure it works for everybody” and that “It is fitting that with the very first bill I sign — the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act — we are upholding one of this nation’s first principles: that we are all created equal and each deserve a chance to pursue our own version of happiness.” Lilly Ledbetter is a woman who complained that she had been paid less than men at the end of her career as a supervisor in a tire factory. When she was close to retirement she found out that her male colleagues were making a lot more money than she was. A jury found that the company was guilty of pay discrimination, but in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court threw out the case. Congress tried to pass a law that would overturn the decision, but while Bush was still in office, the White House opposed the bill. Ledbetter will not receive any money as a result of the legislation, but personal satisfaction is enough for her.