Franken Wins Support For Legislation Reining In KBR?s and other contractor's treatment Of Rape

[Phokus]

Edit:

1st, background on what happened:

According to Jones, on July 28, 2005, several KBR offered her a drink containing a date rape drug, of which she took two sips. The men then engaged in unprotected anal and vaginal gang-rape upon her while she was unconscious. She was able to name one of her attackers based on his confession to her, but was unable to identify the others due to her unconsiousness. Further, the lawsuit filed by Jones' attorneys cites the following: "When she awoke the next morning still affected by the drug, she found her body naked and severely bruised, with lacerations to her vagina and anus, blood running down her leg, her breast implants ruptured, and her pectoral muscles torn ? which would later require reconstructive surgery. Upon walking to the rest room, she passed out again."[5] Jones' account was confirmed by U.S. Army physician Jodi Schultz.[6] Schultz gave the rape kit she used to gather evidence from Jones to KBR/Halliburton security forces, after which the rape kit disappeared (though it was recovered later).[7]

Jones was confined by armed guards to a shipping container containing only a bed, under the orders of her employer, KBR. She says she was denied food, water, and medical treatment. After approximately one day, says Jones, a sympathetic guard gave her a cell phone and she called her father, Tom, who in turn contacted Representative Ted Poe (R-TX) who contacted the State Department. Agents were dispatched from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and removed Jones from KBR custody

And 30 Republicans vote in support of the KBR gang rapists and future incidents of rape by KBR or other contractors.

Unbelievable.

Do you need more proof that the GOP is full of immoral blowhards?

This should have been the most lopsided vote in the history of any amendment. At least a smattering few GOPers have a soul though.


http://thinkprogress.org/2009/...ape-franken-amendment/

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.

The votes were pretty much split between party lines:

YEAs ---68
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Begich (D-AK)
Bennet (D-CO)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Burris (D-IL)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Franken (D-MN)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hagan (D-NC)
Harkin (D-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inouye (D-HI)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kaufman (D-DE)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kirk (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
LeMieux (R-FL)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lugar (R-IN)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Snowe (R-ME)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Udall (D-CO)
Udall (D-NM)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (D-VA)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)


NAYs ---30
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)


Not Voting - 2
Byrd (D-WV)
Specter (D-PA)

 

[Phokus]

Also, as you can see, McCain voted against the amendment, so yeah, we pretty much dodged a bullet there.

 

[Phokus]

Oh and in case if any of you have forgotten, this was the KBR incident. Attention republican scum bags: This is they type of company you cheer for.

According to Jones, on July 28, 2005, several KBR offered her a drink containing a date rape drug, of which she took two sips. The men then engaged in unprotected anal and vaginal gang-rape upon her while she was unconscious. She was able to name one of her attackers based on his confession to her, but was unable to identify the others due to her unconsiousness. Further, the lawsuit filed by Jones' attorneys cites the following: "When she awoke the next morning still affected by the drug, she found her body naked and severely bruised, with lacerations to her vagina and anus, blood running down her leg, her breast implants ruptured, and her pectoral muscles torn ? which would later require reconstructive surgery. Upon walking to the rest room, she passed out again."[5] Jones' account was confirmed by U.S. Army physician Jodi Schultz.[6] Schultz gave the rape kit she used to gather evidence from Jones to KBR/Halliburton security forces, after which the rape kit disappeared (though it was recovered later).[7]

Jones was confined by armed guards to a shipping container containing only a bed, under the orders of her employer, KBR. She says she was denied food, water, and medical treatment. After approximately one day, says Jones, a sympathetic guard gave her a cell phone and she called her father, Tom, who in turn contacted Representative Ted Poe (R-TX) who contacted the State Department. Agents were dispatched from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and removed Jones from KBR custody

 

[Sacrilege]

This amendment interferes with the concept of a company as a "person" under the law, and the rights therefore bestowed upon them.

 

[cubby1223]

Originally posted by: Phokus
And 30 Republicans vote in support of the KBR gang rapists and future incidents of rape by KBR or other contractors.

Unbelievable.

Do you need more proof that the GOP is full of immoral blowhards?

Something tells me there is more to this than just a vote on the support or disapproval of rape :roll:

This whole argument is akin to saying the Democrats who voted against defunding ACORN did so because they support the importation of underage girls into prostitution.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Yet the Congress has similar restrctions/protections for themselves.

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: cubby1223

Originally posted by: Phokus
And 30 Republicans vote in support of the KBR gang rapists and future incidents of rape by KBR or other contractors.

Unbelievable.

Do you need more proof that the GOP is full of immoral blowhards?

Something tells me there is more to this than just a vote on the support or disapproval of rape :roll:

This whole argument is akin to saying the Democrats who voted against defunding ACORN did so because they support the importation of underage girls into prostitution.

Yes, it witholds defense contracts for contractors who restrict the rights of their employees who wish to address any grievances such as rape through a court. KBR wants arbitration because arbitration has an extremely high success rate for the employer (after all, they pay the arbitrator's bill). After Ms. Jones ordeal in her gang rape, you would THINK that this would be a MORAL and COMMON SENSE vote that ANYONE could get behind. But this again shows the lack of moral character for the GOP

 

[EagleKeeper]

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: cubby1223

Originally posted by: Phokus
And 30 Republicans vote in support of the KBR gang rapists and future incidents of rape by KBR or other contractors.

Unbelievable.

Do you need more proof that the GOP is full of immoral blowhards?

Something tells me there is more to this than just a vote on the support or disapproval of rape :roll:

This whole argument is akin to saying the Democrats who voted against defunding ACORN did so because they support the importation of underage girls into prostitution.

Yes, it witholds defense contracts for contractors who restrict the rights of their employees who wish to address any grievances such as rape through a court. KBR wants arbitration because arbitration has an extremely high success rate for the employer (after all, they pay the arbitrator's bill). After Ms. Jones ordeal in her gang rape, you would THINK that this would be a MORAL and COMMON SENSE ruling that ANYONE could get behind. But this again shows the lack of moral character for the GOP

Without knowing the the objections are to the bill .........

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: Common Courtesy

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: cubby1223

Originally posted by: Phokus
And 30 Republicans vote in support of the KBR gang rapists and future incidents of rape by KBR or other contractors.

Unbelievable.

Do you need more proof that the GOP is full of immoral blowhards?

Something tells me there is more to this than just a vote on the support or disapproval of rape :roll:

This whole argument is akin to saying the Democrats who voted against defunding ACORN did so because they support the importation of underage girls into prostitution.

Yes, it witholds defense contracts for contractors who restrict the rights of their employees who wish to address any grievances such as rape through a court. KBR wants arbitration because arbitration has an extremely high success rate for the employer (after all, they pay the arbitrator's bill). After Ms. Jones ordeal in her gang rape, you would THINK that this would be a MORAL and COMMON SENSE ruling that ANYONE could get behind. But this again shows the lack of moral character for the GOP

Without knowing the the objections are to the bill .........

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.?

:roll:

 

[Infohawk]

Pretty heinous crime. She deserves a day in court as opposed to an arbitrator.

 

[seemingly random]

Damn. No wonder pugs fought so long and hard against franken.

 

[seemingly random]

I wonder how a senator palin would have voted.

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: seemingly random
I wonder how a senator palin would have voted.

Palin made rape victims pay for their rape kits. Take a guess.

 

[Bowfinger]

Every time I think Grassley (R - Iowa, most recently of Death Panels infamy) has completely sold out, he puts partisanship aside and takes the high road. Kudos, Senator.

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: Bowfinger
Every time I think Grassley (R - Iowa, most recently of Death Panels infamy) has completely sold out, he puts partisanship aside and takes the high road. Kudos, Senator.

If you think about it, how sad is voting for this amendment considered 'taking the high road'.

This should be the easiest vote ever. This isn't something you should even waffle on.

 

[Bowfinger]

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: Bowfinger
Every time I think Grassley (R - Iowa, most recently of Death Panels infamy) has completely sold out, he puts partisanship aside and takes the high road. Kudos, Senator.

If you think about it, how sad is voting for this amendment considered 'taking the high road'.

This should be the easiest vote ever. This isn't something you should even waffle on.

Oh, absolutely agree. Yet sadly it is noteworthy when a Republican has the integrity to break ranks and vote for the right thing instead of the anti-Democratic thing.

 

[Nebor]

These things that happen outside the United States are not our (legal) business. They should be handled by an Iraqi court. In the event that the defense contractors are immune from Iraqi courts, then it's a wash.

 

[cubby1223]

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: Common Courtesy
Without knowing the the objections are to the bill .........

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.?

:roll:

While I know you are content in believing Republicans are just out to destroy America and feed the rich more money, which is why you like portraying this situation as you do...

But it's still not the full story. And just like the ACORN defunding bill (which too was written not to single out a specific group, but it most certainly is, just like I assume this is too), I never wrote anything here against those who voted to keep funding them, because they have their reasons to other than support for importing underage girls for prostitution.

 

[OrByte]

Originally posted by: cubby1223

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: Common Courtesy
Without knowing the the objections are to the bill .........

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.?

:roll:

While I know you are content in believing Republicans are just out to destroy America and feed the rich more money, which is why you like portraying this situation as you do...

But it's still not the full story. And just like the ACORN defunding bill (which too was written not to single out a specific group, but it most certainly is, just like I assume this is too), I never wrote anything here against those who voted to keep funding them, because they have their reasons to other than support for importing underage girls for prostitution.

2 posts in this thread...two attempts to divert (ACORN)

lol!!

this should be slamdunk legislation. Maybe those who voted against it have no soul?

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: cubby1223

Originally posted by: Phokus
And 30 Republicans vote in support of the KBR gang rapists and future incidents of rape by KBR or other contractors.

Unbelievable.

Do you need more proof that the GOP is full of immoral blowhards?

Something tells me there is more to this than just a vote on the support or disapproval of rape :roll:

This whole argument is akin to saying the Democrats who voted against defunding ACORN did so because they support the importation of underage girls into prostitution.

Sorry, there's nothing more to this one. The Republicans who voted against this one are simply 100% wrong. The actual text of the amendment makes no mention of Halliburton. If in their minds they make the jump from rape to Halliburton, maybe they should think about that for a while.

On page 245, between lines 8 and 9, insert the following:

Sec. 8104. (a) None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used for any existing or new Federal contract if the contractor or a subcontractor at any tier requires that an employee or independent contractor, as a condition of employment, sign a contract that mandates that the employee or independent contractor performing work under the contract or subcontract resolve through arbitration any claim under title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or any tort related to or arising out of sexual assault or harassment, including assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, false imprisonment, or negligent hiring, supervision, or retention.

Edit: In fact, if anything this amendment doesn't go far enough because it leaves loopholes. Rather than narrowly focusing on these particular actions it should have left it as broad as possible saying something such as "any tort related to or arising out of said violations." Then there's no wiggle room trying to define whether some "was or was not emotional distress."

Edit 2: The link was a search, I'll try to get a permanent link.

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.go...ge=S10069&position=all
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.go...ge=S10070&position=all

 

[Tab]

God, anyone who voted against this absolutely disgusts me. At least justice will be served.

 

[cubby1223]

Originally posted by: BoberFett
Sorry, there's nothing more to this one. The Republicans who voted against this one are simply 100% wrong. The actual text of the amendment makes no mention of Halliburton. If in their minds they make the jump from rape to Halliburton, maybe they should think about that for a while.

Hey, I'm not saying I'm opposed to this. What I'm saying is that if one starts with the premise that Republicans are not pure evil, than logic suggests the opposition is something other than "support of the KBR gang rapists"

 

[UberNeuman]

This news just makes me look happily toward a day when I hear the words: President Al Franken...

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: cubby1223

Originally posted by: BoberFett
Sorry, there's nothing more to this one. The Republicans who voted against this one are simply 100% wrong. The actual text of the amendment makes no mention of Halliburton. If in their minds they make the jump from rape to Halliburton, maybe they should think about that for a while.

Hey, I'm not saying I'm opposed to this. What I'm saying is that if one starts with the premise that Republicans are not pure evil, than logic suggests the opposition is something other than "support of the KBR gang rapists"

The text is right there for all to see. If you can think of some reason to object to the amendment I'd be interested to hear the rationale.

 

[imported_Lothar]

Who the hell is LeMieux?
Mel Martinez has retired already?