WASHINGTON – Reps. Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), authors of the Give Our Athletes Level Salaries (GOALS) Act, issued the following statement Feb. 22 after the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (USNWT) reached an agreement with the U.S. Soccer Federation to end their dispute over equal pay to the men’s national team.

“Every time they take the field, the USWNT unites our nation and shows young women around the world their power to become the next generation of leaders,” said the lawmakers. “Despite unprecedented success and multiple World Cup trophies, these inspiring women performed the same job as their male counterparts for far less pay.

“Since Day One of this fight, the USWNT has shown that we must be vocal and tireless in our pursuit of lasting progress. Today’s agreement is a testament to that leadership and perseverance.

“We were proud to introduce the GOALS Act to stand with our USWNT and their effort to end pay discrimination at the highest levels of sports. Thankfully, powerful and dedicated women like the USWNT continue to stand against this injustice and are actively reshaping our country for the better.

“But, while we’ve made progress, we have more work to do to permanently close the wage gap and ensure women of all backgrounds have equity in the workplace. We look forward to continuing this fight in Congress.”

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