Page 28 - bon-dia-aruba-20220211

A28 u.s. news
Diabierna 11 Februari 2022

Congress approves sex harassment bill in #MeToo milestone

(AP) — Congress on Carlson said. An estimated ness groups, have contended
Thursday gave final ap- 60 million American workers it is a faster and less costly
proval to legislation guar- have clauses tucked into their way to resolve disputes than
anteeing that people who employment contracts forc- through lengthy courtroom
experience sexual harass- ing them to settle any allega- proceedings. Graham said on
ment at work can seek tions of sexual misconduct in the Senate floor that it does
recourse in the courts, a private arbitration proceed- not harm businesses to en-
milestone for the #MeToo ings, rather than in court. sure people who are harassed
movement that prompted The widespread practice has at work are treated fairly.
a national reckoning on come under fire in the wake
the way sexual miscon- of the #MeToo movement “This is not bad for business.
duct claims are handled. for forcing employees to seek This is good for America,” he
recourse without a jury, a said.
The measure, which is ex- chance to appeal a decision or
pected to be signed by Presi- the sunlight of a public court Many workers don’t realize
dent Joe Biden, bars employ- process. they’re bound by forced ar-
ment contracts from forcing bitration rules and how the
people to settle sexual assault in the workplace come for- “If you could ever say any process can disproportion-
or harassment cases through ward and be told that they are Former Fox News anchor legislation was long overdue, ately benefit employers, with
arbitration rather than in legally forbidden to sue their Gretchen Carlson, who ac- this is it,” said Senate Major- companies typically paying
court, a process that often employer because some- cused the now-deceased net- ity Leader Chuck Schumer, out smaller sums to settle
benefits employers and keeps where in buried their em- work CEO Roger Ailes of D-N.Y. He called it “almost claims, Gillibrand said.
misconduct allegations from ployment contracts was this making unwanted advances medieval” to force victims
becoming public. forced arbitration clause,” and harming her career when of harassment and assault In a sign of the power of the
she said. she rejected him, testified “to shut up, not tell anyone #MeToo movement and
Significantly, the bill is ret- in support of the legislation. about it and not seek justice.” wide-ranging support behind
roactive, nullifying that lan- Gillibrand, who has focused Some employee contracts at the change, the legislation’s
guage in contracts nation- on combating sexual harass- the network included bind- The secretive nature of co-sponsors included sena-
wide and opening the door ment and sexual misconduct ing arbitration clauses. binding arbitration protects tors who are ideologically
for people who had been in the military, originally in- companies and perpetrators, polar opposites, such as New
bound by it to take legal ac- troduced the legislation in Carlson, who appeared with critics contend, and allows Jersey Democrat Cory Book-
tion. 2017 with Sen. Lindsey Gra- Gillibrand and other senators corporations to avoid chang- er and Missouri Republican
ham, R-S.C. at a news conference after ing any policies or removing Josh Hawley.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who Senate passage of the bill, said serial abusers.
has spearheaded the effort, The legislation had uncom- she could never have imag- Graham said at the news
called it “one of the most sig- monly broad, bipartisan ined, after coming forward The clauses barring lawsuits conference that things can be
nificant workplace reforms in support in a divided Con- with her allegations five years are not just limited to em- “pretty screwed up” in Wash-
American history.” gress. That allowed the bill ago, that it would lead to a ployment contracts but have ington but the legislation
to be passed in the Senate change in the law that both been found in other service signals “that there’s some
Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said the by unanimous consent — a Democrats and Republicans agreements, preventing those hope, as long as we listen to
arbitration process is secre- procedure almost never used would get behind. who were sexually assaulted each other and try to make
tive and biased and denies for significant legislation, es- at nursing homes or mas- life better where we can find
people a basic constitutional pecially one affecting tens of “Marching in the streets can sage parlors from taking their common ground.”
right: a day in court. millions of Americans. The inspire us. Editorials can claims to court.
House passed the bill this open our minds. Hashtags The White House released a
“No longer will survivors of week on a robust bipartisan can galvanize, but legislation Defenders of the arbitra- statement earlier this month
sexual assault or harassment basis in a 335- 97 vote. is the only thing that lasts,” tion process, including busi- in support of the bill.

Republican rift exposes choice:

With Trump or against him

infighting shattered a period publicans sit on a Democrat- loyalty to the former presi-
of relative Republican peace led House committee that dent, McConnell and other
just as party leaders insist is aggressively investigating establishment leaders believe
they need to come together the violent Jan. 6 siege at the there is a line Republicans
to defeat Democrats in the U.S. Capitol and has sub- should not cross.
looming midterms. poenaed many in the former
president’s inner circle. McConnell, for example, has
But this week, at least, Re- refused to amplify Trump’s
publican unity is hard to find. The RNC resolution ac- baseless claims of voter fraud,
cused the House panel of even as polls suggest a vast
To drive home his point, leading a “persecution of or- majority of the Republican
Trump issued another state- dinary citizens engaged in le- electorate wrongly believes
(AP) — Senate Republi- blowup, each bloc believes ment later in the day saying gitimate political discourse” that Biden did not legiti-
cans blame the Republi- it represents the real Repub- McConnell’s position is “so — words that drew outrage mately win the 2020 election.
can National Committee. lican Party and its best inter- against what Republicans are from Democrats and firm
The RNC blames two Re- ests in the bid to regain con- about.” pushback from several GOP The Senate Republican
publican House members. trol of Congress. senators. leader said he opposed the
They blame former Presi- At issue were McConnell’s RNC’s vote to censure Kinz-
dent Donald Trump. And The Republican rift over a comments a day earlier in The fight has quickly inger and Cheney, who are
Trump blames Senate symbolic RNC vote to cen- which he criticized the RNC emerged as a proxy for the Trump’s fiercest Republican
Republican leader Mitch sure Trump’s two GOP for censuring Reps. Liz larger political tug-of-war be- critics in Congress, because
McConnell. House critics has exposed in Cheney of Wyoming and tween Trump and the party’s the committee was “sin-
stark contrast the competing Adam Kinzinger of Illinois at establishment wing. While gling out members of our
In the midst of the GOP’s forces fighting to control the the party’s winter meeting in Trump’s allies believe there party who may have different
first major election year party. The sudden burst of Salt Lake City. The two Re- should be no limits in their views than the majority.”