Eva M. Clayton: “over the years, this Congress has developed a package of policies and a set of laws designed to provide employee…”

“over the years, this Congress has developed a package of policies and a set of laws designed to provide employee protection and to combat discrimination. Those laws have helped to make America better and more fair. This bill, H.R. 1, will apply those same laws to Congress that now apply to all other employers. I was pleased to be a cosponsor of this bill in the last session of Congress, and I will vote for this bill. If discrimination occurs in Congress, there should be protection from it, regardless of race, creed, color, sex, age, family status, physical condition, or any other protected class. Labor practices should be fair, the workplace should be safe, and fair notice and retraining should be the expectation of those who work here. We have outlived the days when Congress can expect special and different treatment from the average employer. If the Constitution means anything for anyone, equal protection of the laws must apply to everyone. Of all that we have done today, this is the one measure that affects the ordinary citizen. It is a good bill, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' for passage.”