[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 9, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H1077]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        RESTORING POWER TO WOMEN

  (Ms. DEAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. DEAN. Mr. Speaker, in an important moment of bipartisanship on 
Monday, this Chamber passed the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual 
Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021.
  Over 75 percent of Members voted to restore power to women, who far 
too often have been at the mercy of powerful men and even more powerful 
companies.
  This bill is not simply about arbitration, but about ending forced 
arbitration.
  According to the EEOC, one in four women have been sexually harassed 
at work.
  For many, the fear of retaliation and being blackballed stops them 
from coming forward.
  And the women who do find the courage to come forward can be 
challenged by the confidentiality clause so often tied to forced 
arbitration clauses in employment contracts.
  This legislation will give sexual harassment and assault survivors 
the freedom to decide legal action.
  This bill goes beyond recourse for the victim. It is about redress in 
a court of law, not in a closed arbitration room.
  Because that is justice. I look forward to Senate passage.

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