WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), marked the 57^th anniversary of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) with a resolution celebrating the agency’s critical mission protecting workers’ rights and enforcing our nation’s workplace harassment and discrimination laws. Recognizing the important work before the agency to close the pay gap, crack down on workplace harassment, and create better, fairer workplaces for all workers, Senator Murray also stressed the importance of swiftly confirming Kalpana Kotagal as Commissioner.

“The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission plays an absolutely vital role in protecting the rights of workers, and I am proud to join my colleagues in celebrating its anniversary,” said Senator Murray. “And as the EEOC marks another year enforcing our nation’s workplace discrimination laws, it’s essential it has the personnel in place so it can fulfill its mission to ensure every single worker has a fair shot at success in the workplace. That’s why it’s so important we confirm Kalpana Kotagal, who will continue fighting to protect workers’ rights and create better, fairer workplaces as Commissioner.”

The resolution commemorates the 57-year anniversary since the establishment of the EEOC in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on July 2, 1965, and recognizes the EEOC’s critical role in addressing inequities in our economy, as well as the significant work ahead to protect workers’ rights, close the pay gap, and hold employers accountable for workplace discrimination and harassment. Senators Schumer, Casey, Lujan, Van Hollen, Cantwell, Brown, Blumenthal, Wyden, Reed, Warren, Hassan, Klobuchar, Sanders, Baldwin, Merkley, Duckworth, Markey, Carper, Whitehouse, Kaine, Padilla, Booker, Peters, Smith, Hickenlooper, King, Hirono, Durbin, Murphy, Feinstein, Coons, Rosen, and Cortez Masto joined Senators Cardin and Murray in introducing the resolution.

Full text of the resolution is available here.