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Friend --

This morning, I posted a direct letter to Governor Romney
asking him to show some leadership on an issue that matters
to millions of women and their families: equal pay for
equal work.

So far, he has refused to say where he stands on
legislation that would finally help make pay equity a
reality.

When his advisers were first asked whether he supports the
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act -- silence.

When the Washington Times asked his campaign five times
last week whether he supports the Paycheck Fairness Act, which
the Senate voted on today -- silence.

That's not leadership.

And with women making 77 cents for every dollar paid to
men, this is clearly a law our nation needs.

If you agree, please add your name to mine right now --
cosign the letter and ask Governor Romney to show some
leadership:

http://my.barackobama.com/Letter-to-Romney1

I went nearly 20 years being paid less than male coworkers
while doing the exact same job -- until someone slipped an
anonymous note in my locker to try to make things right.
When President Obama heard my story, he fought for my right
to be treated fairly, and the first bill he signed into law
as president was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. That law
ensures that his daughters, and millions of young
women coming up through the workforce, will be able to
fight back if they are disrespected like I was.

And it's not just women who suffer -- countless
families are also hurt when women are forced to do more
with less.

The Senate voted earlier today on the Paycheck Fairness
Act. It would have made it easier for women to learn if
they're being discriminated against, and would have
protected workers from being fired for sharing information
about their pay. Mitt Romney stood silent while his party
defeated this important bill. On an issue as crucial as
this, we deserve to know where Governor Romney stands.

Cosign my letter -- it's included below -- and call on Governor
Romney to stand up to the extreme voices in his party:

http://my.barackobama.com/Letter-to-Romney1

Thank you,

Lilly


--------------------------------------------

Governor Romney,

It's time to speak up.

I'm writing to ask you to stand up to your fellow
Republicans, show you're worthy of the leadership you're
asking the American people to entrust you with, and let us
know where you stand on legislation that will help finally
make pay equity a reality.

I'm writing you directly because so far, your leadership
has been so lacking that it appears those closest to you
don't know where you stand, either.

In April, your advisers were asked whether you support the
law that bears my name and empowers women to fight back
when we're cheated out of equal pay. They responded with
silence.

In May, the Washington Times asked your campaign five times
whether you support the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill that
goes further to ensure equal pay for equal work. Again,
silence.

Now, in June, as Washington Republicans continue to oppose
this commonsense law, you continue to hide.

Your campaign will say only that you support the concept of
pay equity, but that you wouldn't change any laws to
actually enforce it. That's like saying you're for staying
dry but wouldn't use an umbrella in a rainstorm. Women are
getting soaked, Gov. Romney, and staying silent when a
solution is at hand isn't leadership -- it's an insult and
a cop-out.

If the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was a step in the right
direction, the Paycheck Fairness Act is a giant leap
forward. The first gave us recourse to sue no matter when
we learn that we've been paid unfairly -- a right we often
didn't have until President Obama made it the first bill he
signed. The second will make it easier for women to learn
if they're being discriminated against in the first place.
It gives businesses incentives to do what's right and
protects workers from being fired for sharing information
about their pay. It closes loopholes and makes
discrimination harder to hide, which makes it harder to
commit.

You talk often about your unique understanding of the
economy. I'm troubled, though, that you don't seem to
understand the consequences of pay inequality. It's not
just about a paycheck and it's not just a women's issue --
it's a family issue. Women make just 77 cents for every
dollar a man earns, which adds up to hundreds of thousands
of dollars in lost earnings over years of hard work. More
women are becoming breadwinners in their families, and
unjustly lower wages mean we have less to spend in our
communities to support the economy. The overtime pay,
Social Security, and pensions we earn are based on our
wages, so unfair pay today hurts us now and weakens our
retirement security later. I learned that lesson the hard
way.

It's 2012. Women are not worth less than men, and no one
should get paid less for doing the same job just because
she is a woman.

Will you stand up for women, stand up to your fellow
Republicans and stand on the right side of history? Will
you finally say aloud that you support efforts to stop pay
discrimination before it starts? We're listening.

Respectfully,

Lilly Ledbetter

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