WA senator helps secure Team USA Act into law, ensures equal pay for women athletes

Following on from the United States Women’s National Soccer Team’s historic collective bargaining agreement last year, which guaranteed equal pay between the men’s and women’s national teams, Team USA has started 2023 with an equally momentous victory.

President Joe Biden signed the Cantwell-Capito Equal Pay for Team USA Act into law on Thursday, ensuring all athletes who represent the United States on a global platform receive equal pay, regardless of gender.

The bill applies to 50 different sports’ national governing bodies, such as U.S. Soccer and U.S. Volleyball, and requires the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee to conduct oversight and compliance with the legislation.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) first introduced the act in 2019, shortly after the USWNT sued for equal pay in the aftermath of their 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup victory.

Although their initial attempt fell flat, the two senators reintroduced the bill in 2022. It was passed unanimously by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on June 22, 2022, the eve of the 50th anniversary of Title IX.

Title IX was enacted in 1972 to prohibit discrimination based on sex in education and athletic programs that receive federal financial assistance. The law ensures a higher level of funding and investment for women’s collegiate sports and requires schools to respond promptly and effectively to sexual harassment and violence claims, among other things.

Cantwell and Capito’s bill passed the Senate unanimously on Dec. 8 and was passed by the House of Representatives on Dec. 21 in a 350-59 vote.

“From here on out, when women win, they no longer have to worry that a men’s team will still somehow be paid more,” Cantwell stated in a news release on Thursday.

“This law requires that the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and sports’ governing bodies provide the same pay, medical care, travel accommodations, and coverage of expenses to U.S. athletes regardless of gender – or risk decertification.”

Decertification would be the process of removing the governing body of a sport and putting control of the sport into the hands of USOPC until a new governing body is installed.

After the bill passed the house, Cantwell took to the floor to thank members of the USWNT who first led the charge in securing equal pay in U.S. Soccer.

“I also want to thank heroes like Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan, who brought that case against U.S. Soccer,” Cantwell said. “U.S. Women’s Soccer led the charge after winning the World Cup and making it clear to everyone that women athletes deserve equal pay.”

Cantwell and Capito were at the ceremony for the Collective Bargaining Agreement signing in September 2022, joining U.S. men’s and women’s national team players and U.S. Soccer representatives.

“With President Biden’s signature,” Cantwell said on Thursday, “we’re ensuring that when you wear the Team USA logo, you will truly be equal.”