Cory Booker: “today I wish to speak on the nomination of Janet Dhillon, who is nominated to be Chair of the Equal Employment…”

“today I wish to speak on the nomination of Janet Dhillon, who is nominated to be Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The EEOC plays an important role in protecting American workers. I am deeply concerned that Ms. Dhillon will put the interests of corporations over those of employees, which is antithetical to the mission of the EEOC. The EEOC is charged with ``enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.'' It also investigates claims of individuals who are retaliated against for complaining about discrimination. Needless to say, the EEOC plays a critical role in protecting American workers and ensuring that our Federal anti- discrimination laws are enforced and not disregarded by unscrupulous employers. In choosing someone to sit on the Commission, it is critical that the administration select someone with a history of working to advance civil rights and workers' rights. Ms. Dhillon clearly does not have that background. Ms. Dhillon has spent the vast majority of her career working for and representing the interests of large corporations.…”