1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,080 Madam Speaker I rise in strong support of HR 2694 the Pregnant 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:08,560 Workers Fairness Act. As a mom and a policy maker, I know how 3 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:11,440 important it is to protect the economic security of pregnant 4 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:15,440 workers and working families. Yet 41 years after the passage 5 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:19,280 of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, federal law falls short of 6 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:22,240 guaranteeing that all pregnant workers have reasonable 7 00:00:22,240 --> 00:00:24,960 workplace accommodations to protect their health and the 8 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:28,240 health of the baby. Reasonable accommodations can range from 9 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:32,220 providing seating, water, and light duty to excusing pregnant workers 10 00:00:32,220 --> 00:00:35,580 from tasks that involve dangerous substances. But when 11 00:00:35,580 --> 00:00:38,460 pregnant workers do not have access to the accommodations 12 00:00:38,460 --> 00:00:42,380 they need, they are at risk of losing their job being denied a 13 00:00:42,380 --> 00:00:46,300 promotion, or not being hired in the first place. Unfortunately, 14 00:00:46,300 --> 00:00:48,860 pregnant workers suffer workplace discrimination at 15 00:00:48,860 --> 00:00:51,740 alarming rates. According to a survey from the National 16 00:00:51,740 --> 00:00:54,860 Partnership for Women and Families, more than 60% of 17 00:00:54,860 --> 00:00:57,900 women have experienced pregnancy discrimination on the 18 00:00:57,900 --> 00:01:01,800 job. Women of color are over represented in low wage 19 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:04,200 physically demanding jobs and are therefore 20 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,960 disproportionately harmed by a lack of access to reasonable 21 00:01:07,960 --> 00:01:11,160 accommodation. Last year, I chaired an education and labor 22 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:13,800 subcommittee hearing on pregnancy discrimination, and 23 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:16,840 we heard very compelling testimony demonstrating that 24 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:20,440 far too many pregnant workers are denied access to reasonable 25 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:23,400 workplace accommodations despite the existing federal 26 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:26,280 law providing for equal treatment on the job. And my 27 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:28,900 home state of Oregon is helping to lead the way by passing 28 00:01:28,900 --> 00:01:32,100 bipartisan legislation that requires reasonable 29 00:01:32,100 --> 00:01:35,220 accommodations for pregnant workers. The new law has 30 00:01:35,220 --> 00:01:38,980 protected pregnant women and also provided certainty to the 31 00:01:38,980 --> 00:01:42,020 business community, but we need to make sure that all pregnant 32 00:01:42,020 --> 00:01:44,820 workers regardless of where they live can access the 33 00:01:44,820 --> 00:01:47,380 protections they need to stay safe and healthy in the 34 00:01:47,380 --> 00:01:51,620 workplace. The bipartisan Pregnant Workers Fairness Act is our 35 00:01:51,620 --> 00:01:55,460 opportunity to address pregnancy discrimination and 36 00:01:55,460 --> 00:01:58,580 protect the health, well being, and economic security of 37 00:01:58,580 --> 00:02:02,240 pregnant and parenting workers and their families. By clarifying 38 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:05,600 the right of workers to fair treatment in the workplace, we 39 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:08,400 will finally guarantee that pregnant workers get the 40 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:11,120 accommodations they need without facing fear of 41 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:14,720 discrimination or retaliation. I thank Chairman Scott and 42 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:16,880 Chairman Nadler for their leadership. I urge my 43 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:19,760 colleagues to support this bipartisan bill and Madam 44 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:22,640 Speaker, I request unanimous consent to enter into the 45 00:02:22,640 --> 00:02:25,840 record a letter from the National Women's Law Center in 46 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:28,640 support of the legislation.