The U.S. Soccer Federation has hired two lobbying firms to push back against claims of a pay gap between its women's and men's teams, reports Politico.
USWNT players have been vocal about pay disparities, and on March 8, 28 players brought a lawsuit against U.S. Soccer, which accused the Federation of "institutionalized gender discrimination."
The move comes after two senators—Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.)—introduced a bill that would require Olympic and amateur athletes to be paid equally. According to Politico, the Federation brought on the firms FBB Federal Relations and Van Ness Feldman to convince lawmakers the claims are inaccurate in response to the legislation.