Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mrs. McCLAIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in objection to the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

This bill was so close to being a bipartisan bill. In fact, I was ready to vote ``yes'' on it because, as the majority of people, I do not believe in discrimination. But at the very last minute, the majority had to throw in a provision to actually allow discrimination in a bill that is supposed to be about nondiscrimination--the very last minute.

Ranking Member Foxx offered an amendment to protect and not to discriminate against religious organizations.

Guess what the majority did?

They voted it down.

Remember, this is supposed to be a bill about not discriminating, yet we vote this down.

Although the bill sounds good, and as a woman--and I will say I am a woman--as a mother--and I am proud to be a mother--I was also pregnant and a worker. So I believe in fairness. I believe in nondiscrimination. I believe in protecting the rights of those individuals.

But let's stop playing games in Congress. Let's actually start protecting the people who need protection, and let's get to work.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source