Women's rights group details pay gap on Hill

More than 60 percent of congressional employees are women, but they are paid less than their male counterparts and are given few of the top jobs, the Capitol Hill Women's Political Caucus says. A caucus survey shows that among Senate staffs, women earn 67 percent of the average man's salary. In the House, women's salaries average 74 percent of men's salaries. Congress is exempt from the Civil Rights Act, Equal Pay Act, equal Opportunity Act, and other employee protection laws. The House has adopted a voluntary fair-employment program, but less than one-fourth of the members have agreed to comply. The senate has no such plan.