Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I wish to express my support for the Defend Trade Secrets Act and to explain some of the changes that were made in the Judiciary Committee to ensure the bill does not adversely impact California. First, let me congratulate Senators Hatch and Coons on their work on this bill. This bill will help protect vital trade secrets of American companies by providing a Federal cause of action for the theft of trade secrets. It will ensure there is access to Federal courts in these cases. During consideration of the bill in the Judiciary Committee, some members, including me, voiced concern that the injunctive relief authorized under the bill could override State law limitations that safeguard the ability of an employee to move from one job to another. This is known as employee mobility. Some States, including California, have strong public policies or laws in favor of employee mobility. These are reflected in some State court precedent or in laws that are on the books. When this bill came before the Judiciary Committee, there was a serious concern that a Federal law without similar limits would override the law in those States and create impairments on employees' ability to move from job to job. If that were to happen, it could be a major limitation on employee mobility that does not exist today. To prevent this, the bill now includes language to preserve the law in California and elsewhere.…”