On February 12, President Barack Obama delivered the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress.
The president noted that “We know our economy is stronger when our wives, our mothers, our daughters, can live their lives free from discrimination in the workplace and free from the fear of domestic violence. Today, the Senate passed the Violence Against Women Act [S.47, (see The Source, 2/15/13)] that [Vice President] Joe Biden originally wrote almost 20 years ago. And I now urge the House to do the same.”
President Obama also expressed his support for the Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 84/H.R. 377), sponsored by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), saying, “And I ask this Congress to declare that women should earn a living equal to their efforts and finally pass the Paycheck Fairness Act this year.”
Recognizing the contributions of women in the military and military families, the president said, “We will draw upon the courage and skills of our sisters and daughters and moms, because women have proven under fire they are ready for combat.”
The full transcript of the president’s remarks can be found here.
