[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 154 (Tuesday, September 24, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H7871]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             THE FAIR ACT MAKES FORCED ARBITRATION ILLEGAL

  (Ms. KENDRA S. HORN of Oklahoma asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. KENDRA S. HORN of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support 
of the FAIR Act that makes forced arbitration clauses illegal.
  As a member of the Armed Services Committee, I worked to protect 
servicemembers and their families from negligently managed base housing 
and the contracts they were forced to sign to keep them quiet. Our 
servicemembers should have the right to advocate for themselves.
  We cannot hold bad actors accountable when they can hide in 
arbitration proceedings. No one should have to sign away their right to 
go to court after experiencing sexual assault or discrimination, but 
that is exactly what forced arbitration clauses do.
  Arbitration can be an option to solve disagreements without going to 
court, but everyone involved should get to choose. If you downloaded an 
app, signed up for a credit card, or signed an employment contract, you 
may have signed away your right to hold someone accountable. I don't 
believe that you can sign away your constitutional rights.
  Mr. Speaker, I voted for the FAIR Act to level the playing field for 
consumers, small businesses, and workers across America, and I strongly 
urge the Senate to take it up as soon as possible.

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