Sheila Jackson Lee: “I thank the gentleman from Virginia for yielding. And I thank the sponsors of this very important amendment, Mr. Davis…”

“I thank the gentleman from Virginia for yielding. And I thank the sponsors of this very important amendment, Mr. Davis and Ms. Pingree. I rise to support the underlying bill, the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act that I am very proud to have been a cosponsor of. What kind of thanks are we giving to hardworking Americans who, because of the growth of this population senior citizens, older Americans, they are ready to work in the workforce and provide their experience, their thoughtfulness, and their leadership. Unfortunately, a Supreme Court decision in the 2000s turned this upside down by requiring those older Americans to be burdened by the responsibility of saying, it is only the fact that we are old or that there are not multiple reasons why I could have been fired. How dangerous that is when an older American feels vulnerable? The underlying amendment is also very important, dealing with women who may have had to get out of the workforce to raise their children or to not get promotions so they can tend to their children or other matters or be a caretaker for other family members. This is an important initiative to equalize the playing field, to value those older Americans with experience who are ready to work, who have been giving their best, and who are ready to be the kind of experienced mentors in the workplace that really make America great. I rise to support this legislation.…”