‘Equal Pay Day’: Obama Signs Executive Orders Aimed at Stopping ‘Gender Gap’ in Federal Pay

As Obama Spotlights Gender Gap in Wages, His Own Payroll Draws Scrutiny (The New York Times)

WASHINGTON — President Obama on Tuesday will call attention to what he has said is an “embarrassment” in America: the fact that women make, on average, only 77 cents for every dollar that a man earns.

But critics of the administration are eager to turn the tables and note that Mr. Obama’s White House fares only slightly better. A study released in January showed that female White House staff members make on average 88 cents for every dollar a male staff member earns.

The dueling statistics reveal the political sensitivities around a set of gender-related issues that could be critical in the midterm elections this fall. Those include pay equity, family leave, preschool and child care.