NEW YORK: The House has passed a bill that ensures equal compensation for women competing in international events, a piece of legislation that came out of the US women’s soccer team’s long battle to be paid as much as the men.
The Equal Pay for Team USA Act, passed late Wednesday, will require all athletes representing the US in global competition to receive equal pay and benefits in their sport, regardless of gender.
It covers America’s 50-plus national sports and requires the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee to handle oversight. The bill had earlier passed the Senate with unanimous support.
It now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk. In a speech Wednesday night on the Senate floor, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), who co-sponsored the bill with Sen.