New York governor signs new pay equity legislation amid US women's soccer team's fight
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday he signed new pay equity legislation at the U.S. women’s soccer team’s victory parade in Manhattan.
Cuomo’s announcement comes as several Democratic lawmakers and presidential contenders have supported the team’s fight to earn as much as the men’s soccer team makes.
MEGAN RAPINOE POSTERS VANDALIZED WITH HATEFUL MESSAGES AT NYC SUBWAY STATION, POLICE SAY
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“The women's soccer team plays the same game that the men’s soccer players play — only better,” Cuomo, a Democrat, tweeted. “If anything, the men should get paid less.”
He added: “Thank you @USWNT for helping lead this movement for change!”
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cuomo said the law removes the "loophole" that allows gender discrimination in pay for the same job, according to PIX 11.
"If you don’t pay women what you pay men, then you have no business in the state of New York," he said.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., was among those who congratulated the team on defeating the Netherlands on Sunday to win their second straight Women’s World Cup. The 2020 presidential hopeful called for the team to get paid equally.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“Once again the @USWNT has proven they’re the best team in the world—now let’s make sure they’re paid like it,” she tweeted.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., echoed Gillibrand’s call, tweeting: “At this point we shouldn’t even be asking for #EqualPay for the #USWMNT - we should demand they be paid at least twice as much.”
Presidential contender Beto O’Rourke tweeted: “pay them what they deserve.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FIFA faced criticism lately for its pay gap between men and women’s soccer. Prize money for the Women’s World Cup was $30 million, while the men’s prize purse was set at $400 million in Russia last year.
Megan Rapinoe called out FIFA on the pay disparity ahead of the final.
“It certainly is not fair,” Rapinoe said. “We should double it now and use that number to double it or quadruple it for the next time. That's what I mean when we talk about, 'Do we feel respected?'”
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According to The New York Times, FIFA president Gianni Infantino pledged to double the prize money for the next Women’s World Cup in 2023.
Fox News' Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.