Political Quotes

“I will vote ``yes'' on H.R. 4445, Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021. However, l have reservations that certain provisions in the bill lack clarity regarding key issues. Employers have increasingly relied on forced arbitration clauses to circumvent workers' right to due process. Currently, over 60 million American workers are locked out of the courtroom due to these coercive arrangements that compel them to go through a process that is rigged against them. Forced arbitration undermines workers' recourse for a wide array of employment law violations--not just sexual harassment and sexual assault; this includes wage theft and other employment discrimination issues. With Chairman Nadler, I introduced the Restoring Justice for Workers Act, H.R. 4841, a more comprehensive approach to protect workers' access to the courts and their right to collective action no matter their workplace claim. Although H.R. 4445 is an important step forward by ensuring that certain individuals who experience ``sexual assault'' and ``sexual harassment'' are not forced to arbitrate their cases based on a pre- dispute arbitration agreement, I have concerns that the legislation does not go far enough to offer such protections to other vulnerable individuals who need fair access to the courts to vindicate their rights.…”