USA: Obama signs equal pay bill

. BOSTON, Massachusetts / The Boston Globe / Political Intelligence / January 29, 2009 By Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor President Obama signed the first significant bill of his administration this morning, a measure that will make it easier for women and others to sue employers for pay discrimination. He was joined by Lilly Ledbetter, the 70-year-old retired tire worker from Alabama whose name is on the bill. Obama walked to the lectern with Ledbetter at his side, and joined in the applause for Ledbetter, praising her persistence and tenacity. He also thanked Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to be speaker of the US House. Obama said that it is "fitting" that his first bill upholds "one of this nation’s founding principles: that we are all created equal and each deserve a chance to pursue our own version of happiness." "So in signing this bill today is to send a clear message: That making our economy work means making sure it works for everybody," he added. "That there are no second class citizens in our workplaces, and that it’s not just unfair and illegal – it's bad for business – to pay someone less because of their gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion or disability. And that justice isn’t about some abstract legal theory, or footnote in a casebook – it’s about how our laws affect the daily lives and daily realities of people, their ability to make a living and care for their families and achieve their goals." He handed Ledbetter the last of the pens he used to sign the bill into law. More ? Click here © 2009 NY Times Co