Alaskan Congressman Don Young was at the White House this morning to watch President Obama sign his first piece of legislation into law. One of the few Republicans invited to attend and one of only four who voted in favor of this bill when it came to the House floor, Rep. Young sat front row as the President signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act which reverses an anti-labor 2007 Supreme Court decision by giving workers more time to file pay discrimination lawsuits.
“This is a good piece of legislation, and I was very proud to be able to watch the President sign it into law,” said Rep. Young. “The persistence of the pay gap has been the subject of broad debate for a long time and has gotten significant congressional attention in recent years. We live in a country where all should be treated equally, and that applies to our wages. President Obama is the eighth President I have had the pleasure to serve under during my congressional career and while we will not always agree on policy, I have great respect for him.”
After the bill signing, Rep. Young had a few moments to speak with the President about issues of concern to him such as infrastructure funding in the stimulus bill. As a follow up to their policy discussion, President Obama asked the Congressman how he stays so young. His answer? Frequent exercise.
