The U.S. women’s national soccer team this week accepted an invitation from Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) to visit Congress’ upper chamber.
Schumer said he hopes to celebrate the team’s recent victory at the World Cup and push Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to bring up legislation to tackle the gender income gap, a cause that team co-captain Megan Rapinoe and her teammates have championed.
{mosads}“That’s great! I love that. I’m interested to see what McConnell does. Thank you, Chuck Schumer, for inviting us out. We are very happy to accept your invitation to come,” Rapinoe told reporters Monday.
The gender income gap has received renewed attention recently following the team’s win in Sunday’s World Cup final, as several teammates pointed out that they would be paid less than the men’s team for winning the prominent tournament.
According to unsurfaced documents, each player on the U.S. women’s national team could receive about $260,000 in maximum earnings for winning the Women’s World Cup, while each player on the U.S. men’s national team could have earned nearly $1 million if their team had won the tournament.
“Wouldn’t it be great if we could pass that bill while the Women’s National Team was visiting this chamber? Wouldn’t that send a powerful message of our commitment to rooting out discrimination everywhere? I urge Leader McConnell to consider it. Right now that bill lays in Leader McConnell’s all-too-full legislative graveyard. Perhaps this great victory might spring it free so that we can do something for women’s equality,” Schumer said in a statement.
McConnell joined other lawmakers in congratulating the team on its victory Sunday:
Though Rapinoe has said she would not visit the White House to celebrate the team’s victory, teammate Alex Morgan said last week the team will likely decide together whether to accept President Trump’s invitation.