This was a particularly horrific and despicable crime against all humanity. We need to figure out how to prevent such monsters from growing and how to punish them in any effective way. (Each of the rapists should tearfully apologize to the whole world moments before ending his own life as painfully as possible. One can only hope Hell is real and ever-lasting.) Al Franken has proven that the Republican who called him a clown is himself a jackass. <\/p>\n
\nIn 2005, Jamie Leigh Jones was gang-raped<\/a> 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 \u201cwarned her that if she left Iraq for medical treatment, she\u2019d be out of a job<\/a>.\u201d (Jones was not an isolated<\/a> case<\/a>.) 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.<\/p>\n
Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) proposed an amendment<\/a> to the 2010 Defense Appropriations bill that would withhold defense contracts from companies like KBR \u201cif they restrict their employees from taking workplace sexual assault, battery and discrimination cases to court<\/a>.\u201d Speaking on the Senate floor yesterday, Franken said:<\/p>\n
\nThe constitution gives everybody the right to due process of law \u2026 And today, defense contractors are using fine print in their contracts do deny women like Jamie Leigh Jones their day in court. \u2026 The victims of rape and discrimination deserve their day in court [and] Congress plainly has the constitutional power to make that happen.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\nOn the Senate floor, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) spoke against the amendment, calling it \u201ca political attack directed at Halliburton<\/a>.\u201d [mjh: And the Dark Lord, Dick Cheney.]<\/em> Franken responded, \u201cThis amendment does not single out a single contractor. This amendment would defund any contractor that refuses to give a victim of rape their day in court.\u201d <\/p>\n
In the end, Franken won the debate. His amendment passed by a 68-30 vote<\/a>, earning the support of 10 Republican senators including that of newly-minted Florida Sen. George LeMieux. \u201cHe did what a senator should do, which was he was working it,\u201d LeMieux said in praise of Franken. \u201cHe was working for his amendment<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n
Appearing with Franken after the vote, an elated Jones expressed her deep appreciation. \u201cIt means the world to me<\/a>,\u201d she said of the amendment\u2019s passage. \u201cIt 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.\u201d <\/p>\n
Update 30 Republican senators<\/a> voted against the amendment, including Sen. David Vitter (R-LA).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Think Progress \u00bb Franken Wins Bipartisan Support For Legislation Reining In KBR\u2019s Treatment Of Rape<\/a><\/p>\n
\nNAYs —<\/b>30<\/b> <\/p>\n
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) [mjh: the maverick? hardly.]<\/i>
McConnell (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Wicker (R-MS) <\/p>\nNot Voting – 2<\/b> <\/p>\n
Byrd (D-WV)
Specter (D-PA) <\/p>\nVote Summary<\/a>
By Senator Name<\/a>
By Vote Position<\/a>
By Home State<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nU.S. Senate: Legislation & Records Home > Votes > Roll Call Vote<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This was a particularly horrific and despicable crime against all humanity. We need to figure out how to prevent such monsters from growing and how to punish them in any effective way. (Each of the rapists should tearfully apologize to the whole world moments before ending his own life as painfully as possible. One can … Continue reading Monsters and Heroes<\/span>