Al Franken earns his money; GOP defends Halliburton, gang rape

...alternately titled "Stuart takes liars to the woodshed".

Senator Franken was in a hearing on health care reform talking about the very real problem of personal bankruptcies because of medical costs. A witness was attempting to spread the meme that a public option would mean MORE health care bankruptcies. Combating that, Sen. Franken goes asks her to cite the number of medically-related bankruptcies in nations that have socialized medicine.

Then, the witness attempts to get a shot in as Franken is finishing. Not a smart move.


This second clip is from a hearing on an amendment Franken made to the defense Appropriations bill. Defense contractor KBR (the new name of Halliburton, because they trashed the last one) had a female employee who was brutally gang raped while working for them overseas. Because it wasn't on U.S. soil, the woman was forced to accept binding arbitration to settle the criminal complaint - an outcome not nearly as certain as a criminal trial where the rules of evidence prevail. The woman wants a public trial, not a secret hearing in front of an arbitrator. she's been suing for four years not to get to court, but for the right to GET to court.

Here's an account of what the woman went through, from the Guardian:

In legal papers (Jamie) Jones, who was 20 at the time, says she was fed a knockout drug while drinking with KBR firefighters.

"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," the papers say.

Jones was treated by a US army doctor who gave forensic evidence to company officials. She says the firm placed her under guard in a shipping container and she was released only after her father asked the US embassy to intervene. When the forensic evidence was handed to investigators two years later, crucial photographs and notes were missing.

Jones says she identified one of the men who attacked her after he confessed, but that Halliburton/KBR prevented her from taking legal action against him or the company by pointing to a clause in her contract requiring disputes to go to arbitration.
...
KBR has sought to discredit Jones's account by saying she was seen drinking and flirting with a firefighter before leaving the gathering with him, and that the man claims to have had consensual sex with her. The firm denies that Jones was held prisoner, but not that her injuries indicated serious sexual assault.

Senator Franken's bill seeks to bar the U.S. government from doing business with any contractor that forces employees to accept binding arbitration to settle sexual abuse claims.

Here is the Senator battering a KBR lawyer who attempts to argue that arbitration is "better for the victim".


Franken's amendment passed 63-30, with ALL THIRTY "NO" VOTES COMING FROM REPUBLICANS! How can the GOP oppose justice for victims of gang rape? Or, as Linkins points out, do we have to cover up rape to save capitalism?

Jon Stewart felt the need to weigh in: ""I understand we're a divided country, some disagreements on health care. How is ANYONE against this?"

Now comes word that Sen. Dan Inouye, a longtime Democrat from Hawaii, is considering removing the provision or so watering it down as to render it meaningless, due to a full-court press by defense contractors.

This is your government folks. Congrats.