Members of Congress and local officials used Black Women’s Equal Pay Day on July 10 to press for legislation aimed at closing the racial and gender wage gap. The date marks how far into 2025 Black women must work to match what white men earned in 2024. Rep. Alma Adams, co-chair of the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus, said she had introduced a Black Women’s Equal Pay Day Resolution in the House, while Sen. Dick Durbin announced a companion measure in the Senate alongside Sen. Laphonza Butler. The non-binding resolution calls on Congress to recognize the day annually and to enact stronger pay-equity protections such as the stalled Paycheck Fairness Act. Lawmakers cited federal data showing Black women receive just 64 ¢ to 66 ¢ for every dollar paid to white men, a disparity that can shave nearly $1 million from lifetime earnings. Supporters argue the gap persists even after accounting for education and occupation, and warn that proposed cuts to federal employment—one of the few sectors where pay is more transparent—could widen the shortfall. City leaders including Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser and New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams joined the call for tougher enforcement of pay-transparency laws. Advocates say adopting national standards on salary disclosure, collective bargaining rights and stronger anti-discrimination enforcement would help move the observance closer to January 1, when pay parity would be realized.