President Obama Signs His First Act

Lilly Ledbetter

President Barack Obama signed his first act into law on January 29, 2009. The act, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, reverses a 2007 Supreme Court decision which held that employers are protected from lawsuits over race or gender pay discrimination if the claims are based on decisions made by the employer 180 days ago or more.

Lilly Ledbetter, the woman for which the act is named, was an employee of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co for 19 years when she discovered she was not paid at the same rate as her male counterparts.

Before signing the act, President Obama discussed the fundamental fairness at issue. He said, “making our economy work means making sure that it works for everybody” and “one of this nation’s founding principles is that we are all created equal”.

The President acknowledged the work of Lilly Ledbetter, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others in getting this legislation, which has taken ten years, to pass.