Al Franken’s first amendment passed yesterday, and it was a winner!
How was this controversial?
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.” Speaking on the Senate floor yesterday, Franken said:
The constitution gives everybody the right to due process of law … And today, defense contractors are using fine print in their contracts do deny women like Jamie Leigh Jones their day in court. … The victims of rape and discrimination deserve their day in court [and] Congress plainly has the constitutional power to make that happen.
Easy call, right? Well, not if you’re a Republican, eager to protect a right of corporations to rape its employees.
Of the 40 Republicans in the Senate, only 10 voted for the Franken amendment, including all four women in the Senate GOP. Of the six Republican males who voted for the amendment, all of them represented states outside the deep South — Bennett (UT), Hatch (UT), Grassley (IA), LeMieux (FL), Lugar (IN), and Voinovich (OH). The other 30 men, including luminaries like David Vitter, John Ensign, and John McCain, didn’t think the amendment warranted passage.
This is interesting. According to Republicans, a fake pimp and ho, reported to the police, was apparently so beyond the pale that they’ve worked to strip ACORN of all federal funding. But denying employees actual redress from gang rapes is no big deal?… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Daily Kos>
Unbelievable. I am happy to report that Democrats were unanimous in its favor. I took the liberty of chasing down just who the Republicans were who voted against this amendment.
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)
8 Responses to “As Franken Shines, Republicans Show Their True Colors”
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WTF! The damn commies and socialists are tearing at the ability of business to prosper and be free of these pesky rape and sexual abuse lawsuits. Just when I wanted to commit a rape for (of) democracy!!!
Damn them!!
Franken is proving to be a most worthy Senator. Talk about a rarity.
As a woman, I am appalled by such brazen irresponsibility!
"We must confront irresponsibility!" — David Cameron, Conservative Party leader (and perhaps, future UK PM)
This applies accross the board regardless of party affiliations; members of the Republican Party who didn't vote for the passage of the Franken bill showed gross irresponsibility and must be confronted.
Their act (or non-act) is tantamount to violating Ms Jones again.
Many kudos to Al Franken for this. And all those Republicans who voted "no" should enroll their daughters into KBR and have them sign a similar contract and shipped off to the Middle East.
Byrd didn't vote, which I understand because he's been ill. But what's Arlen Specter's excuse? Oh yeah…no spine. This is a guy the Dems want to support in their party? Really?
Frustrating, isn't it, Mark?
That he is, Tim. I think we need more comedians in Congress, and fewer lawyers.
Anna, I fully agree with you. Had there been Democrats, I would have blasted them with equal ferocity. Sadly, this kind of attitude is all too typical for Repuglicans.
Nunly, Byrd has an excuse. As for Specter, I support his primary opponent.
TC- I really like the guy running against him in the primary. I really hope that Specter gets shot down, it's time to retire that old coot.
tomcat…
Great too see you back and blogging again.
I hope your doing well and its been a long time since I checked over here.
The last time there was nothing on the site so I was pleasantly surprised to see you up and swinging.
As usual the Republican Fascist Nazi's showed once again how vile they are with there no vote on Franken's bill.
I hope the woman of this country unite and stop voting for them in all elections now.
I wonder who else is left for the republicans to piss off. Can't be too many left now.
Anyway good to see you back.
Take care and …
God Bless.
Me too, Nunly. I consider him a Democrat of convenience, nohing more. However, to his credit, he did come out yesterday in favor of the public option.
AP!! Great to see you, and it's good to be back! After this, I cant see how any self respecting woman could vote Republican.