PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1423, FORCED ARBITRATION INJUSTICE REPEAL ACT; WAIVING A REQUIREMENT OF CLAUSE 6(A) OF RULE XIII WITH RESPECT TO CONSIDERATION OF CERTAIN RESOLUTIONS REPORTED...
Norma J. Torres (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-9-18

the balance of my time. prgtoken Before I conclude, I would like to start by thanking Mr. Johnson and Mr. Nadler for bringing this critical piece of legislation to the floor. prgtoken , my colleagues have repeatedly argued that this legislation is for trial lawyers. Let me tell you about Allen. prgtoken Allen tried to hold American Express accountable for high swipe fees in a class action lawsuit with other small businesses. Instead, he was forced to go at it alone in arbitration, where he quickly found out that, even if he won his case, he would lose because it would cost much more to bring his claim than he could hope to ever recover. Allen lost his case after appealing all the way to the Supreme Court. prgtoken Recently, some very large companies like Walgreens, CVS, and Safeway have taken American Express to trial over the very same issue. The difference here is that they are large enough to have been able to negotiate contracts without forced arbitration clauses. prgtoken I have heard it said that the FAIR Act is bad for small businesses. It is quite the opposite. Corporate America claims the FAIR Act outlaws all arbitration clauses. That is simply not true. The FAIR Act does not apply to business-to-business arbitrations. prgtoken The bill protects workers, consumers, and small businesses with antitrust cases. Companies like Walmart or Exxon are not protected from forced arbitration under the FAIR Act. prgtoken I could share many more of these stories, but our time here is limited. prgtoken It shocks me that my colleague is so opposed to fair representation when our Founding Fathers recognized the importance of access to legal counsel, and every day on this very floor we pledge ``with liberty and justice for all''--for all. prgtoken I do agree with my colleagues, , that the biggest special interest at play here is the corporations that want to protect their top executives who sexually assault their employees; the cable companies who charge illegal fees, making millions in profits; the credit card companies that charge exorbitant fees, crippling small businesses; and many others that use forced arbitration to escape justice. prgtoken There are plenty of special interests that are fighting to keep using this broken system, and my colleague has tried to flip that narrative to make it seem as if the underdog will be hurt by this legislation-- the underdog of billionaires. Nothing could be further from the truth. prgtoken Let's not forget whom this bill is for. This bill is about fighting for veterans like Kevin, for our loved ones in nursing homes like Sister Irene, for small businessowners and every other victim of forced arbitration. prgtoken , we have tossed around a lot of legal terms in this debate, but at its core, this bill is about justice. prgtoken In conclusion, I would like to tell about a horrific experience suffered by a customer of Massage Envy in L.A. County. prgtoken Lilly was sexual