Democrat Rosa DeLauro asks if critics want female lawmakers "paid at 80 cents on the dollar"

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat, has introduced legislation aimed at closing the gender wage gap in every congressional term since 1997. And she says the time is finally right for the bill to get some traction. 

"There is a dynamism that talks about the value of women, the respect for women that I think wasn't present earlier on," DeLauro told CBSN Tuesday. "That has provided real momentum."

DeLauro introduced the Paycheck Fairness Act, which passed in the House last week. The final vote, 242-187, largely fell along party lines, with seven Republicans breaking rank.

DeLauro says the bill gives the 1963 Equal Pay Act "teeth." That landmark measure sought to get rid of wage disparities based on gender, however the problem remains persistent today. 

In 2018, women made 85 percent of what men earned, according to an analysis done by the Pew Research Center. While up from 64 percent in 1980, the rate has been considerably stable over the past decade. 

Despite this, DeLauro remains encouraged by recent progress. 

"What has changed is the environment in which we are working," DeLauro added. "You are seeing that there is a heightened awareness of women in the workforce today doing the same job of their male counterpart."  

The Paycheck Fairness Act looks to end the practice of "pay secrecy," where men and women are prohibited from speaking about their salaries with fellow employees. The measure also prevents employers from taking salary history into consideration when determining future paychecks. It paves the way for class action lawsuits, as well as establishes a grant program to help women hone their negotiating skills. 

"The simple premise of this bill is that men and women in the same job, deserve the same pay," DeLauro added. "That's not true across the board, in a whole number of professions."

Tuesday marked Equal Pay Day in the United States, but it's evident lawmakers are still working to make that a reality. The Act is expected to face an uphill battle in the Senate.

Republicans there have said the legislation doesn't go far enough to close the gender pay gap. Plus, there's an alternative in the works. House GOP members are lobbying for a different bill in their chamber, known as the WAGE Equity Act. New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik introduced the rival legislation last week. 

In a press release, Stefanik said DeLauro's measure would put too much of a burden on employers, as well as open the door to "frivolous lawsuits."

DeLauro pushed back on the critiques, calling them "spurious." 

"It's interesting because men and women in this body, we are paid the same amount of money," DeLauro said. "We have different educational backgrounds, different skill sets, we come from different parts of the country. Yet, we're paid the same. Maybe my colleague would like to see women here, and I would just say on her side of the aisle, paid at 80 cents on the dollar."