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

Floor Speech

Date: Feb. 7, 2022
Location: Washington, DC

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Ms. JAYAPAL. Madam Speaker, this is a landmark day. H.R. 4445, the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, will ensure that tens of millions of people are no longer silenced in instances where there is sexual harassment and sexual assault.

These forced arbitration agreements require that people with disputes against a company use a secretive, one-sided mediation process instead of the judicial system. Sexual assault and sexual harassment survivors with claims against a company are stripped of the right to decide how to pursue accountability for their perpetrator. It is a lose-lose scenario. People are left with little alternative but to sign these agreements, and yet, they often face retaliation and backlash when they are pursuing their claims.

This bipartisan bill is essential for survivors like Tatiana Spottiswoode, who bravely testified under the protection of a friendly subpoena at a House Judiciary Committee hearing. Tatiana needed that protection because forced arbitration took away all of her rights to speak publicly about the severe harassment that she had endured from her boss and her abuser, former CEO of Afiniti, Zia Chishti. At the hearing, Tatiana testified that ``the person who changed my life forever continues to abuse me because forced arbitration gives him the power to do it in secret.''

Tatiana's freedom to discuss her experiences publicly had real impact. Mr. Chishti was finally fired, and the former Prime Minister of the U.K. resigned from the advisory board of her abuser's company. Her story, and countless others like hers, show why this bill is so critical.

I am so proud to colead this bill with the incredible Representative Cheri Bustos. And I thank Representative Bustos and Representative Morgan Griffith and Representative Ken Buck for their leadership, as well. No one should have to endure what happened to Tatiana and so many others like her. We have an opportunity in the House of Representatives to set this right for millions of brave survivors.

Vote ``yes'' to pass H.R. 4445.

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