Prospective US Presidential candidate, Joe Biden, has given his say
on the steps he’ll take against the US Football Association if he is
elected in as the new US President come November 2020.
Joe Biden on Saturday told the US Soccer Federation to resolve the
pay dispute with its women’s team or risk losing World Cup funding.
On Friday, a federal judge R. Gary Klausner threw out an unequal pay
claim by 28 USA players, led by two-time Women’s World Cup winner Alex
Morgan, asking the US Soccer Federation to start paying the female team
the same salary as the male team.
The lawsuit pointed that the female team has won more trophies and had
more commercial appeal and viewership than the male team therefore they
deserved equal pay with their male counterparts.
Judge R. Gary Klausner allowed the players’ case against unfair
treatment in travel, housing and medical support to go to trial next
month but dismissed the damages and claims of the Equal Pay Act sought
by the female team.
The players’ spokesperson Molly Levinson said they will appeal
the decision, and Biden, has now encouraged the team to to keep
fighting, saying if the Federation doesn’t pay the womens team what they
deserve, the US Government will not fund the Federation’s World Cup
hosting in 2026 if he becomes president .
“To @USWNT: don’t give up this fight. This is not over yet,” Biden wrote on Twitter.
“To @USSoccer: equal pay, now. Or else when I’m president, you can go elsewhere for World Cup funding.”
The men’s World Cup in 2026 is to be staged in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
Joe Biden is a big fan of the U.S. Women’s soccer team and recently said
in a live video call with team captain Megan Rapinoe that he could
consider her for Vice President