White House Gender Pay Gap Draws Scrutiny

Women's salaries have become an election-year political issue for President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats.

On Tuesday, the president signed an executive order that would reduce gender gaps in worker pay.

According to Census Bureau data, women make 77 cents for every dollar a man makes -- a 23-cent difference.

The executive order will make it easier for workers of federal contractors to get information about compensation and prevent punishment for those who discuss their pay.
    
Tuesday's move comes as the White House is facing scrutiny for its own gender income inequality. 

A study by the American Enterprise Institute showed that women working at the White House earn 88 cents on the dollar, compared to male staffers.

The White House is defending the pay gap, saying some female aides earn less because they work fewer hours or have less experience.
    
Critics say those are the same explanations given by pro-business groups when defending business owners against liberal critics.

"The wage gap is real, but the White House does itself a disservice - and embarrasses itself in the process - by grasping for misleading statistics that don't tell the whole story," the New York Times quoted Brendan Buck, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.