( CNN ) -- When President Barack Obama declared in Tuesday 's State of the Union that a `` woman deserves equal pay for equal work '' and it 's time for the nation to `` do away with workplace policies that belong in a 'Mad Men ' episode , '' the House chamber erupted in an apparent display of bipartisan support rarely seen in today 's Washington . You saw both Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner leading Congress in a standing ovation . Facebook reported a massive spike -- 33,000 % -- in conversations immediately after the president 's remarks about women and the gender wage gap . Twitter exploded with more than 33,000 tweets per minute . And I 'm pretty sure that wherever he was , even Don Draper put down his Lucky Strike cigarette , stirred his Canadian Club whiskey , and rose to his feet in support . Obama 's soft sell on income inequality . But as welcome as this seemingly bipartisan display of support for women may be , it stood in stark contrast to what has happened in the real world . It 's been five years to the day since the President signed his first piece of legislation , the Lilly Ledbetter Act , which restored legal protections for women who are victims of pay discrimination . That law was intended to be a first step . But since then , Congress has been sitting on its hands when it comes to closing the gender wage gap . We need measures that will support women as they increasingly fill the role of both primary caregiver and primary breadwinner in today 's American families . A standing ovation in a joint session of Congress will not put food on the table for 42 million American women living on poverty 's edge . A standing ovation wo n't create workplace policies that keep them from having to choose between caring for their families and bringing home a paycheck . And a standing ovation certainly wo n't change the fact that women as a group still make only 77 cents on the dollar as compared to men -- even less if you are Black or Latina . Only action will . If 2014 is to be , as the President calls it , the Year of Action , there are things we can do right now to close this gap and help millions of women fully participate and thrive in our economy . State of the Union : Bravado vs. political reality . Congress can start by passing the Paycheck Fairness Act so that women ca n't get fired for asking their co-workers about their pay . As Lilly Ledbetter pointed out this week , `` How will a woman know she 's being paid less if she ca n't ask ? '' Today , nearly half of all workers labor in jobs where they are either prohibited by policy or discouraged by their employers from talking about their pay . They can face severe consequences if they do , including termination . The good news for Congress in this election year is that this issue has the support of most Americans , regardless of geography , gender , race or party affiliation . And if Congress fails to act , the President has been clear that he will . He 's already raised the minimum wage for federal contractors . Another opportunity for action is an executive order that protects employees from retaliation by federal contractors for discussing their wages with co-workers . An executive order may not have the staying power of legislation , but it will move the needle for the approximately 25 million Americans working for federal contractors , many of whom are women . States can also be leaders in creating more gender equity in today 's workplace . Several states have adopted legislation strengthening their equal pay protections beyond what is required by federal law . Additionally , California , New Jersey and Rhode Island are providing paid family leave , and Connecticut now offers paid sick days . These states are demonstrating that change is not only possible , but can be profitable : Businesses have reported that with these policies in place , they have experienced reduced turnover and increased productivity and morale . And businesses need not wait on Washington -- as some are already proving . Many have revised workplace policies to provide flexible schedules , paid family leave and paid sick days to help ensure women are not penalized in the pocket book for shouldering the lion 's share of their family 's caregiving responsibilities . Together we can close the gender wage gap and in so doing cut the poverty rate for women and their families in half and add nearly half a trillion dollars to the national economy . When we lift women , we lift America . But now it is up to us to act . We ca n't just tune out . You see , Don Draper is fiction . But the gender wage gap is very real . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Maya L. Harris .
Obama : Bipartisan applause does n't square with Obama ' record on gender wage gap . President Maya Harris spoke to the issue during 2014 's State of the Union address . He said it 's time to `` do away with workplace policies that belong in `` How will a woman know she 's being paid less if she ca n't ask episode ''