Senate advances Capito’s bipartisan Equal Pay for Team USA Act

The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday received a bipartisan bill for consideration co-led by U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) that would ensure equal pay for all Americans who represent the United States in global athletic competitions after the U.S. Senate gave it approval on Dec. 8.

The Equal Pay for Team USA Act of 2022, S. 2333, which Sen. Capito cosponsored in July 2021 alongside bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), would require that all athletes representing the U.S. in international amateur athletic competitions receive equal compensation and benefits for their work, regardless of gender, and that each national governing body for a sport report annually on compliance with this requirement, according to the text of the bill.

“When American athletes compete on the world stage, they represent our great nation, our people, and our values. It is only right that the women competing for the United States in global athletic competitions receive the same kind of pay and benefits as their male counterparts,” Sen. Capito said. “This is an issue we can address together, not as Democrats and Republicans, but as Americans, and I’m proud to join Senator Cantwell in pushing to get this legislation across the finish line.”

Specifically, S. 2333 would apply to 50 different sports’ national governing bodies. The bill also would require the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to conduct oversight, and along with the national governing bodies, the USOPC would have to report on compliance with the legislation, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.

“By passing the bill out of the Senate, we’re sending a message to all the young girls who dream of a future in sports – you will get equal pay for your success,” said Sen. Cantwell. “I will continue to push the House to get this finally passed into law.”

S. 2333 has been endorsed by numerous organizations, including the USOPC, the U.S. Soccer Federation, the Alliance of Social Workers in Sports, the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, the National Organization for Women, the Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association, and USA Volleyball, among many others.