Franken Wins Bipartisan Support For Legislation Reining In KBR’s Treatment Of Rape »
Posted By bluetexasvalley 1 month, 4 weeks ago in Political News
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.
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bluetexasvalley
I am a 60-plus widow, retired after almost 40 years in the newspaper business. My love of politics was learned, first, from my father, a ...
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bluetexasvalley1 month, 4 weeks ago
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FTA:
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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 to 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." -
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earthlingerer1 month, 4 weeks ago
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No, they're not saying raping a woman is okay.
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They're saying it's okay for foreigners to rape AMERICAN women working for American companies overseas.
These contractors are know for supplying prostitutes to "boost workplace morale". Now the American women are considered "perks".
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hefaa1Comment removed: Hard Banned
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PapaWolf1 month, 4 weeks ago
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Someone PLEASE enlighten me. Exactly HOW could anyone drop this? Don't they WANT rape victims to get justice?
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I had a very close friend who was raped in the military over 25 years ago. An 18 year old girl thousands of miles away - & their was nothing I could do to help her.
I am against capitol punishment, but if I could've gotten my hands on those guys, there probably wouldn't have been a need. How could ANYONE be against this?-
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Charlson1 month, 4 weeks ago
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Partisan politics rears it's ugly head. When a party has sunk so low as to vote nay to a bill that would pave the way for the women who were raped to get their day in a court of law, then that party is no champion of morality. Hypocrites, the lot of them.
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bluetexasvalley1 month, 4 weeks ago
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Update from Huffington Post:
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Franken's amendment ended up passing, 68-30. Here's a list of the Senators who showed broad support for Roman Polanski by voting against it:
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)
ADDENDUM: It's been pointed out to me that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce lobbied against the Franken amendment as well:
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.
I guess we must cover up crimes like rape in order to save capitalism.-
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cowboygrandpa1 month, 4 weeks ago
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btv:
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I guess the R behind their name stands for rapist !!!!!!
For they are continuing to try to rape America for all they can get !!!
These idiots need to be gone, not only out of politics but out of America !!!!
McCain ????
What the hell is wrong with him, he has daughters right ??
Does he want them to be raped, and be without legal recourse ????
I really think the R stands for Rejected, Repulsive, Refuted, Rebuked, Refuse as in trash,Rescinded, Really Stupid !!!
But they haven't got a clue as to how stupid they truly are. Hahahahahahahahahahaaaa !!!!! -
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toph19731 month, 4 weeks ago
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Looking through this list one thing strikes me. One from the Northeast. Most from the Bible belt and other ultra conservative states.
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No surprise about the one from the S Dakota. I think that it was that state that wanted to ban abrotion in all cases, even rape and incest.
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Tcaros1 month, 4 weeks ago
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The KBR, Halliburton, war profiteers are in the right wing camp.
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It wouldn't surprise anyone that they condoned sexual assault- they had the contracts written up and approved by former attorney general so they could commit such crimes. -
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jblack451 month, 4 weeks ago
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Typical Republican response.The Us Chamber of Commerce is more important to them than the rights of a rape victim . So much for family values. And they want to take back control of the Senate doing stupid things like this? What businesses out there would think that they are more important and deserve special treatment over a rape victim? America really need to boycott them.
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oneironaut4201 month, 4 weeks ago
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Sadly, I think this represents a level of thinking in 30 Republicans that amounts to, "She was asking for it." I simply cannot think of any other reason ANYONE would be against legislation that gives rights to the victims of a despicable crime. It's not just a matter of protecting corporate interests...no, this indicates a frightening lack of concern for the victims of -this- particular crime, which is misogyny, plain and simple.
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Edited to add: I hope the politicians running against those 30 use this loudly and clearly in the next election: MY REPUBLICAN OPPONENT SUPPORTS RAPE. -
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cowboygrandpa1 month, 4 weeks ago
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FTA:
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"On the Senate floor, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) spoke against the amendment, calling it “a political attack directed at Halliburton.” Franken responded, “This 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.”
In the end, Franken won the debate. His amendment passed by a 68-30 vote, earning the support of 10 Republican senators including that of newly-minted Florida Sen. George LeMieux. “He did what a senator should do, which was he was working it,” LeMieux said in praise of Franken. “He was working for his amendment.”
Appearing with Franken after the vote, an elated Jones expressed her deep appreciation. “It means the world to me,” she said of the amendment’s passage. “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.”
I have three grown daughters, I have six grandaughter. Let me tell ya !!!! It wouldn't matter what anyone said, I would get justice one way or another. I would hound the people that did it, I would spend money showing their pictures, I would list Halliburton in adds stating that they allow rapists to get away with it in their employ !!!!!!
Punish the evil bastards, or lose your right to be called a man of justice and law. -
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Charlson1 month, 4 weeks ago
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This was a Republican visceral negative reaction to any bill that Franken would introduce. These Republicans are so blinded by their hatred for Franken that they would vote for RAPE to spite him. Little boys playing in a grown-up world is dangerous to the security and safety of Americans and America.
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BB641 month, 4 weeks ago
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Actually I understand some of this. The assault and hearings occurred before Franken showed up. The GOP knew there were enough votes for this feel good law and were sending a statement that they don't like how Franken came to office. In Franken's case, it's pretty clear there were dirty tricks pulled in every DNC controlled district. You can't keep finding "lost" ballots that only vote for Franken, there's no way that could possibly happen, the laws of averages wouldn't support that. Another issue was the large number of "lost" ballots with the wrong registration date stamped on the top. If Franken wanted to write a law, increase the penalties for voter fraud. Long prison terms, huge fines, and real voter ID requirements. But again, Franken is looking of for a feel good law so here you go. He's a one term senator, hope he enjoys the dinning room.
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BB641 month, 4 weeks ago
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First, I'm confused at the reasoning behind any company restricting charges of rape even in a war zone. I'm also confused by Franken leading the charge, where are the women of congress?
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I'd have to know more about this case or other cases pending? Also, since this was a private contractor, why wouldn't this be handled in the Iraqi courts? For assault cases, there is no immunity as far as I know.
On the folks voting no, guys like McCain are loyal to no party. I don't like the man although I did vote for him. If he voted down something like this, there has to be a reason. That plus eliminate a company like Haliburton and what do you do? Send in Acorn? There isn't another firm with their capabilities. I'd like more information from credible resources and what fines, penalties and payments have been made to the victim.-
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BB641 month, 4 weeks ago
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I did find that there seems to be a pattern of sexual problems for his woman. If this was initiated by the males of this division, I would support restricting them until there policies change. This is 2009 and we simply can't stand for this. From what I'm reading, it's a case of stalking plain and simple. Haliburton has help lines for conduct like this, why didn't she file complaints when she was still here in the states? Again, I'm not attacking the victim but Haliburton is a legit company with a huge HR department. When they owned Waukesha Engine, they fired people for misconduct regularly, they have a zero tolerance policy. There's more to this story. Either she's a very immature 19 year old or something else. Again, I'm not attacking her, I say throw the book at these clowns.
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Newperson1 month, 4 weeks ago
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What they did to this woman is so bad. This is the kind of thing that makes people not trust the u.s. I wonder how much of this kind of stuff has never been found out. They need to be punished.
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Thank you BTV. for posting this. People need to know how things really are.-
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BB641 month, 4 weeks ago
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Actually, this is little more than the left going after Haliburton again. Rather than writing a bill like this, how about making sex crimes a very, very long prison stay. The left likes to go after the businesses but not the criminal. I have no problem holding Haliburton to normal standards. If this division can't follow their standard company procedures, then they need to be closed or reorganized. The bad part, if this law passes, they will spin them off to a free standing firm and continue business as usual. What they really need to do is enforce the current laws both domestically but internationally when the firms are supporting our military. Rape is a life sentence in the military, why not now. Gang rape could mean execution. Enforce the laws on the book now and stop writing feel good laws.
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