The numbers show that women on average continue to earn 77 cents for every dollar men earn in the same jobs.

The Joint Economic Committee asked the Government Accountability Office and a nonprofit research organization called, Catalyst, why women's wages remain lower than their male coworkers and what they can do about it.

They told the committee that gender sterotypes about hiring, promotion, pregnancy, and child care continue in the work place. They emphasized that having children still proves to hurt women's careers and their paychecks.

Committee chairwoman, Carolyn B. Maloney, developed the term "mom bomb" to describe how new mothers take a financial hit while new fathers often receive bonuses. Increasingly more households depend on a woman's income in this tough economy, making the pay gap more prevalent than ever.

Members of Congress are pushing for family-friendly policies that would help both parents support a family and maintain career goals.

A bill recently introduced to the Senate, the Working Flexibility Act, would protect women's incomes and careers when deciding to have a family. It would provide parents the right to apply for modified hours and paid leave in the interest of caring for a family.

For more information here is the Government Accountability Office's testimony and Catalyst's report on the gender pay gap.