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In October, Senator Al Franken proposed an amendment to the 2010 Defense Appropriations bill that would withhold federal funds from contractors that restrict their employees from taking rape and sexual assault cases that happen at work to court. The amendment was a response to former Halliburton employee Jamie Leigh Jones who was raped by fellow employees but told she could not bring charges in court because her contract stipulated that sexual assault allegations would only be heard in private arbitration. Here's what Al Franken had to say to congress:
In the discussion surrounding the amendment 30-some republican senators against it were mad that they were being portrayed as indifferent to sexual violence and asked Franken to defend them. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who voted against the amendment stated,
I think it would be helpful for Sen. Franken to come forward and say, ‘I’m not suggesting that anybody who votes for my amendment is indifferent to crimes against women or anybody else.
I think my friend at Happy Bodies sums it up best:
Um, no.
If you chose other priorities over the right of women to seek justice for crimes committed against them, you are indifferent to crimes against women. End stop. In what political bizarro world does anyone have the obligation to shield you from the negative consequences of taking a morally problematic position?
But despite all the political maneuvering, on Saturday, the 2010 Defense Appropriations bill and Franken's attached amendment were signed into law. There's more good news for Jamie Leigh Jones too. On tuesday a court found that her alleged injuries were not, in fact, in any way related to her employment and thus, not covered by the contract, which means she can start the process of seeking justice from those who wronged her. Jones says of the amendment,
It means the world to me. It means that every tear shed to go public and repeat my story over and over again to make a difference for other women was worth it.
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I did a blog about the unfaireness of Jamie's situation. I'm so glad that justice has been served. I hope that she is able to recover and get all the good things coming for her. Thanks for the post and the follow-up! Good Job Senator Franken! :)
# Posted By 
kirbygirl87
| 12/23/09 02:58 PM
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kirbygirl87
| 12/23/09 02:58 PM
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