Mr. Speaker, this bill would restore to employment discrimination victims the realistic chance at justice that the Supreme Court recently took away from them. What is important to understand about the Court's decision is that everyone agreed that Lilly Ledbetter was the victim of intentional discrimination for 19 years. The Court said something truly astonishing, that the only discriminatory act was the initial decision to pay Lilly Ledbetter less than her male coworkers. Once the employer had successfully concealed that fact from her for 180 days, she was out of luck and Goodyear could openly go on paying her less just because she was a woman forever. The initial decision to discriminate was illegal, but the continuing decision to continue paying her less was perfectly okay. This upset 40 years of settled law, 40 years in which the companies of this country went under the rule that this bill would restore.

The Court's decision is an open invitation to employers to violate the law with virtual impunity. Once again, Congress must correct the Supreme Court and instruct it that when we said discrimination in employment was illegal, we meant it, and we meant for the courts to enforce it. And anyone who says that discrimination in employment should be illegal but should not be enforceable if the employer can hide the discrimination for 6 months is really saying let the discrimination go on forever. Let the women and the racial minorities and other people who are discriminated against be discriminated against forever.

Shame on the Supreme Court, and shame on those who would make employment discrimination victims helpless by opposing this bill. I urge adoption of this bill.