**Equal Pay Day marks how far into the new year the average woman must work to match what the average man made the year before**

**In the 2020 election, Americans elected the most women to Congress in our nation’s history**

Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02) and her colleagues joined President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden to celebrate Women’s History Month 2022 at the White House. The 2020 election was historic for women – not only did the United States elect its first woman Vice President, but America also elected the most women to Congress in our nation’s history. 2022 has proven to be a significant year for gender equality and progress in the United States, with President Joe Biden poised to nominate the first Black female Supreme Court Justice and the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act being signed into law today.

“I was honored to join my colleagues from across the country at the White House today to honor Women’s History Month,” said Rep. Kuster. “Today’s visit was an opportunity to reflect on the progress towards gender equality our country has made and recommit ourselves to the work that’s still to come. It was fitting that this celebration happened on Equal Pay Day, and I will continue working across the aisle to ensure every Granite Stater has the same opportunity to succeed.”

Kuster is a fierce advocate for equality in Congress. A member of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, she helped champion the Paycheck Fairness Act through the House last year to eliminate pay disparities based on gender by requiring employers to prove that pay disparities exist for legitimate, job-related reasons, banning retaliation against workers who voluntarily discuss or disclose their wages, and closing loopholes in the Equal Pay Act of 1963.

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