Barbara Mikulski: “Mr. President, I strongly oppose Senator Specter's amendment to add a rule of construction to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair…”

“Mr. President, I strongly oppose Senator Specter's amendment to add a rule of construction to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act regarding employers' equitable defenses on just what I said--waivers, estoppels, and laches. This amendment is unnecessary and unfair. These are technical legal terms, and I am going to be very clear that the language is unnecessary because nothing in the bill changes the availability of these longstanding equitable defenses. Parties have been able to raise equitable claims in employment discrimination cases, and nothing in the pending legislation would change that.”