[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 7, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2679-S2680]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      NOMINATION OF JANET DHILLON

  Mr. BOOKER. Madam President, 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. Notably, while she 
was employed at JC Penney, the company was harshly criticized for its 
handling of a garment factory accident in Bangladesh that killed more 
than 1,000 people. She also worked at the Retail Litigation Center, an 
entity that works to limit employees' and consumers' access to justice. 
These experiences stand in direct opposition to the mission of the 
EEOC.
  Additionally, during her confirmation hearing, she would not commit 
to maintaining the EEOC's current position that title VII of the Civil 
Rights Act of 1964 protects LGBT people from discrimination. As one of 
the main authors of the Equality Act in the Senate, which clarifies 
that existing civil rights law forbids discrimination of LGBT people, I 
am deeply concerned Ms. Dhillon would not make that commitment at her 
hearing.
  If the United States is going to be a beacon of liberty and freedom, 
we must not allow discrimination of any kind to continue. The EEOC 
plays an essential role in fulfilling that promise of eradicating 
discrimination and creating a workplace that reflects the best of 
American values: hard work, ingenuity, decency, and respect.
  It is clear to me that Ms. Dhillon is not the right person for the 
job, and I urge my colleagues to vote against her nomination.

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