Late last week, the House of Representatives blocked a vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act. This was a blow to all of us who have worked so hard on policies to help close the wage gap.

But it's not over yet! That's right — there is a way to FORCE a vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro put forward what's called a "discharge petition" and all we need to do is get 218 Representatives to sign it in order to release the bill for a vote.

That's where you come in. We need you to urge your Representative to stand up for fair pay by signing the "discharge petition" on the Paycheck Fairness Act. The more noise we make, the more likely we'll reach our goal.

A vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act is long overdue. For the last decade, the typical woman who works full time, year round has made 77 cents for every dollar earned by her male counterparts. That 23-cent wage gap translates into more than $400,000 in lost wages over a woman's lifetime.

Here's why we need the Paycheck Fairness Act. It would:

• Make it harder for employers to pay women less for doing the same work.
• Prohibit unfair retaliation against employees who discuss their wages with their co-workers.
• Guarantee that employers who break the law compensate women for the pay they are owed.