The House of Representatives today passed H.R. 11, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, on a 247 to 171 vote, and passed H.R. 12, The Paycheck Fairness Act, on a 256 to 163 vote.

The Ledbetter Act would clarify that every paycheck or other compensation resulting from an earlier discriminatory pay decision constitutes a violation of the Civil Rights Act; as long as workers file their charges within 180 days of a discriminatory paycheck, their charges would be considered timely. (This was the law up until the U.S. Supreme Court’s May 2007 decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear.) And the Paycheck Fairness Act removes loopholes in the Equal Pay Act of 1963 that let employers avoid penalties for engaging in pay discrimination based on gender.

This was a big push for House Democrats, and much of the Bay Area’s delegation is weighing in.

From Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Alamo: “Americans should be paid based on their work, not their gender. Today, we passed tough but fair legislation to ensure Americans receive equal pay for equal work. Both pieces of legislation will be effective because they hold employers accountable for discriminatory pay practices and close loopholes opened by the Supreme Court.”

From House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller, D-Martinez: “This is a historic step forward in the fight for equal rights for women. It’s a shame that so many women still struggle to receive equal pay for equal work. Any wage gap based on gender is unacceptable, especially as we work to rebuild our economy during these tough economic times. If we are serious about closing the gender pay gap, we must get serious about punishing those who would otherwise scoff at the weak sanctions under current law.”

From Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma: “As millions of workers continue to struggle during this economic downturn, it is more important than ever that every American—regardless of gender—receives equal pay for equal work. Today’s passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act is not only symbolically important, but makes real changes to the law which will in turn raise thousands of women out of poverty, especially those who are single parents. The Equal Pay Act was passed over 45 years ago with the best of intentions. It is fitting that we now update the law so that we can renew our commitment to tackle equal pay head on.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco: “Pay equity, fairness to women in the workplace, the Lilly Ledbetter Act, these are our priorities. I hope that we will have a big, strong vote in Congress today, so the message will go out that this Congress has heard the message of change in the election, that this Congress knows the needs of America’s women, that this Congress is prepared to act relevant to the concerns of America’s working families.”