John Mills Allen Quotes
This is a pity, for I had many other things of great interest to say. But, as my time has expired, and not wishing to further interrupt the proceedings, I would at least like to have permission to print some remarks in the [Congressional] Record and insert "laughter and applause" in appropriate places. Now I will retire to the cloak-room to receive congratulations.
When informed that his speaking time had expired, Allen said:
John Mills Allen, 1846-1917, U. S. Congressman (Democrat, MS), Speech, House Committee on Rivers and Harbors, April 1885
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
Miller was the Chairman of the House Committee that wrote the bill. The Act allowed women and other workers who were the victims of wage discrimination to sue the discriminating employers even after the statute of limitations and run out provided that they victim had no knowledge of the discrimination. Lilly Ledbetter was a Goodyear Supervisor who was for years paid far less than the male supervisors doing the same work. But the company kept it secret and Ms. Ledbetter didn’t find out until the statute of limitations had said she could no longer sue. The Lilly Ledbetter Act corrected that injustice. President Obama observed that discrimination in pay affects not only the woman or other worker, but also the entire family which might therefor not be able to obtain health care, education or care for elderly parents. At the time that this quotation was made, white women in America who were working full time were earning only 77 percent of what men earned. For minority women, the proportion is even less. As bad as that was, it was an improvement over the situation when the equal pay act was passed 50 years before. Then women earned only 53 percent of what a man did.
John Mills Allen, known as "Private John" Allen, was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Mississippi.
