The US men's and women's national teams signed historic collective bargaining agreements. There is a time and a place for this.
The United States women's soccer team's long battle to be paid as much as the men's team resulted in the passage of a bill by the House of Representatives.
The Equal Pay for Team USA Act will require all athletes representing the United States in global competition to receive equal pay and benefits regardless of gender. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee is required to handle oversight.
The Senate had unanimously supported the bill. It will go to the president's desk.
When it comes to pay, medical care, travel arrangements and reimbursement of expenses for players of the same sport, nothing short of equal is acceptable. I am thankful for the group of women athletes who raised their voices to demand equal pay.
The lawsuit was filed against the U.S. soccer team. The women signed a new collective bargaining agreement earlier this year that included equal pay for men and women.
Most Olympic sports in the US have met equal compensation standards. The men's and women's soccer teams have different pay structures and oversights, which led legislators to seek to codify those standards into law.
Both houses of congress sent a clear message that this is the standard for all national teams in all sports and it underscores the importance of working with our athletes to achieve equal pay.
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