Friend, today is Equal Pay Day. Despite all of the progress that we have fought so hard to win in the last handful of years, women are still paid 77 cents for every dollar paid to a man, resulting in a gap of $11,782 EVERY YEAR.

But when we break that statistic up into smaller groups, the numbers are even more jarring. Hispanic women are paid just 54 cents per dollar, and Native American women are paid just 51 cents per dollar paid to a man.

Friend, women in New Mexico and across the country deserve better. They deserve equal pay for equal work.

Last year, my colleague Senator Martin Heinrich and I called on the Senate to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act – an act that would strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963 – and now I'm calling on you to echo that call.

Friend, I need 5,000 supporters to sign my petition to demand equal pay for equal work, but it looks like I'm still missing your name. So please, before this petition closes at midn‌ight ton‌ight:

Can I count on you to sign my petition and make a stand for equal pay with me? >>

Thank you for joining this fight with me.

Con gratitud,

Ben Ray