http://thinkprogress.org/2009/10/07/kbr-rape-franken-amendment/ In 2005, Jamie Leigh Jones was gang-raped by her co-workers while she was working for Halliburton/KBR in Baghdad. She was detained in a shipping container for at least 24 hours without food, water, or a bed, and “warned her that if she left Iraq for medical treatment, she’d be out of a job.” (Jones was not an isolated case.)
Jones was prevented from bringing charges in court against KBR because her employment contract stipulated that sexual assault allegations would only be heard in private arbitration.Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) proposed an amendment to the 2010 Defense Appropriations bill that would withhold defense contracts from companies like KBR “if they restrict their employees from taking workplace sexual assault, battery and discrimination cases to court.” Speaking on the Senate floor yesterday, Franken said:
The constitution gives everybody the right to due process of law … And today, defense contractors are using fine print in their contracts do deny women like Jamie Leigh Jones their day in court. … The victims of rape and discrimination deserve their day in court
Congress plainly has the constitutional power to make that happen.
(ThinkProgress has a tape of Franken's speech)
On the Senate floor, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) spoke against the amendment, calling it “a political attack directed at Halliburton.” Franken responded, “This amendment does not single out a single contractor. This amendment would defund any contractor that refuses to give a victim of rape their day in court.”
Jon Stewart pointed out on his show last night that these were the same SEnaors who voted FOR pulling Federal funding from ACORN because one employee gave improper advice to a fake prostitute. http://www.thedailyshow.com/
ONCE AGAIN, MEMBERS OF THE CORPORATE LOBBYIST PARTY STANDING FOR THE "RIGHTS" OF CORPORATIONS TO DO ANYTHING TO MAKE MONEY .. EVEN DENYING THE TRUE, UNALIENABLE RIGHTS OF A HUMAN BEING, IN THIS CASE TO DEFEND THEIR PERSON AGAINST PHYSICAL ASSAULT. IN OTHER WORDS IT'S OKAY FOR A CORPORATION TO OBSTRUCT JUSTICE IN THE CASE OF THE COMMISSION OF A CRIME. THE REPUBLICANS WANTED SUCH CASES TO BE SUBJECT TO ARBITRATION!!!!!
THESE DEGENERATES ARE OKAY WITH DENYING A CITIZEN HER RIGHTS AND PROTECTING A CORPORATION WHO OBSTRUCTS JUSTICE!!! A GODDAMN CRIME WAS COMMITTED, FOR CHRIST SAKE!!!!
A CITIZEN'S RIGHTS SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO ARBITRATION????
ENFORCING THE LAW AND SEEKING JUSTICE IS NEGOTIABLE????
NOW THIS IS SOMETHING WORTH GETTING ANGRY ABOUT.
HERE IS THE RECORD OF THE VOTE ON FRANKEN'S AMENDMENT http://senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00308
some more on this amendmant and the comments of some Republlicans against it.http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2009/10/06/12247/senate_passes_franken_amendment_aimed_at_defense_contractors
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