President Obama And Senate Democrats Push For Equal Pay

April 8, 2014, is Equal Pay Day — a date that symbolizes how far into 2014 the average women must work in order to earn what her male counterpart earned in 2013.

This week, President Obama and the Democratic-controlled Senate are expected to make a concentrated effort to eliminate the gender pay gap, including an executive order that prohibits federal contractors from retaliating against workers who discuss their pay.

President Obama is also expected to direct the Labor Department to issue new rules requiring federal contractors to provide compensation data that includes a breakdown by race and gender.

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats will take up legislation that would make it easier for workers to sue companies for paying women less than men because of gender.

NPR’s White House Correspondent Scott Horsley joins Here & Now's Meghna Chakrabarti to discuss the president's efforts and the challenges he might face.