Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021

Floor Speech

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Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding, and especially thank our colleague, Cheri Bustos, for bringing this important legislation to us.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4445, the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act.

In 2017, our country experienced a dramatic and needed shift. Women in a variety of industries responded to news of allegations against powerful men with the hashtag #MeToo, banding together in solidarity to expose predatory behavior that has been overlooked and excused for generations. But some women are still not able to speak out against their abusers because forced arbitration agreements prevent them from doing so.

Last year, the House Committee on the Judiciary heard testimony from women from a variety of backgrounds and political parties, who have suffered the dual injustices of sexual abuse and forced silence through arbitration. Their stories illuminate how forced arbitration agreements are too often used to protect assailants and their companies at the expense of working women. It is past time for Congress to enable these women to reclaim their voices and take control over their own lives.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4445.

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