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Think Progress has more:
In 2005, Jamie Leigh Jones was gang-raped by her co-workers while she was working for Halliburton/KBR in Baghdad. She was detained in a shipping container for at least 24 hours without food, water, or a bed, and “warned her that if she left Iraq for medical treatment, she’d be out of a job.” (Jones was not an isolated case.) Jones was prevented from bringing charges in court against KBR because her employment contract stipulated that sexual assault allegations would only be heard in private arbitration.
Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) proposed an amendment to the 2010 Defense Appropriations bill that would withhold defense contracts from companies like KBR “if they restrict their employees from taking workplace sexual assault, battery and discrimination cases to court.”
Sounds reasonable right? Why would we want to discourage employees (men and women) for standing up for their right to work without being harassed and abused? Well, apparently there are quite a few Republican Senators who don't think people should have that right, and indeed that the United States Federal Government should continue to fund the companies perpetuating this:
Alexander (R-TN)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Kyl (R-AZ)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Wicker (R-MS)
How nice to know that these Senators put their business interests ahead of those of their constituents. I wonder if they've ever read Title VII. According to the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC):
Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII applies to employers with 15 or more employees, including state and local governments. It also applies to employment agencies and to labor organizations, as well as to the federal government.
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.
I think being Gang Raped (or otherwise raped) falls within that description.
Also:
It is also unlawful to retaliate against an individual for opposing employment practices that discriminate based on sex or for filing a discrimination charge, testifying, or participating in any way in an investigation, proceeding, or litigation under Title VII.
Even sadder is the fact that the U.S. Commerce Department also approves of denying people the right to work without being sexually harassed/assaulted.
Republicans point out that the amendment was opposed by a host of business interests, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and applies to a wide range of companies, including IBM and Boeing.
Only 10 Republican Senators voted FOR Senator Franken's Amendment. That is very discouraging.
Wonkette points out:
Thirty Republican males voted against it. They thought Al Franken was just being mean to Halliburton because of Dick Cheney and politics.
Yes, because it's ALWAYS about Dick Cheney and politics right? It's never actually about doing the right thing.
Well, I for one am proud of Senator Al Franken. He may have once been a comedian, but he's doing a kick ass job as a Senator.
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