On the recordJuly 13, 2022
As Chairman of the House Committee on Veteran's Affairs, one of my top priorities has been to curtail unethical conduct aimed at the men and women that have worn the uniform of our Nation. The Cicilline/Takano amendment offered to H.R. 7900, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 is another means to that end. This amendment would prohibit the enforcement of forced arbitration clauses in contracts covered by the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). SCRA was created to extend important financial protections to military service personnel who are currently serving on active-duty and often targeted for exploitation. These protections can range from prohibiting lenders from repossessing cars and foreclosing on homes while servicemembers are actively deployed. Despite the protections granted in SCRA, corporations and big banks have been consistently targeting servicemembers and their families through the deceptive use of forced arbitration clauses. Forced arbitration has undermined the rights of servicemembers for years by forcing them to waive their ability to seek remedies through the courts. More often than not, these clauses are buried in the fine print of lengthy employment contracts. This amendment will expand these protections to remove a common tool used in an exploitation that has become all too common.…
