Meng, Cummings, Scott and Norton Applaud House Passage of their Bill to Protect Interns Against Sexual Harassment and Discrimination
Statement
Tonight, U.S. Reps. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform; Robert "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce; Grace Meng (D-NY) and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) applauded House passage of their bill, the Federal Intern Protection Act, H.R. 3231, which would make it illegal to discriminate against or sexually harass unpaid interns in the federal government.
"This is common-sense legislation that should have become law long ago," said Cummings. "Allowing this kind of behavior to go unchecked can have serious consequences on the lives and careers of young people interested in government service, and I am encouraged that the House passed our bill with unanimous support."
"Internships are often the first real entry into a profession," said Scott. "Yet, unpaid interns are currently not expressly protected from prohibited discriminatory practices addressed in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Rehabilitation Act and other laws, regulations, agency policies. H.R. 3231 would remedy this problem and extend these workplace protections to unpaid interns who may be vulnerable to egregious treatment."
"It is unacceptable that interns working in the U.S. government continue to be denied the same safeguards that are provided to employees," said Meng. "Everybody in the federal government, from executives to interns, are entitled to be protected from sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace, and the passage of our bill puts us one step closer towards accomplishing that critical goal. I now call on the Senate to quickly approve our legislation as well."
"When I administered the equal employment laws years ago, the word "intern' meant newly- minted MDs, who were, of course, paid," said Norton. "I am grateful that our bill today takes an important first step by giving unpaid interns in federal agencies the protection of the nation's anti-discrimination laws."
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