05.18.21

Democrats Want to Reverse Streamlined Rule that Increased Transparency and Cut Odds of Lawsuits

‘Sometime soon, we also expect to vote on a Democratic resolution to overturn a rule put in place by the previous administration. Under Republican leadership, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, an aggressive Washington regulator of the American job market, issued modified marching orders that increased transparency and decreased the odds of expensive lawsuits.’

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission:

“Sometime soon, we also expect to vote on a Democratic resolution to overturn a rule put in place by the previous administration.

“Under Republican leadership, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, an aggressive Washington regulator of the American job market, issued modified marching orders that increased transparency and decreased the odds of expensive lawsuits.

“Several years back, one investigation found the EEOC had become very aggressive and was perpetrating a kind of legal harassment on job creators — often leaving American taxpayers on the hook for court cases which the Commission lost.

“Taxpayers were paying to sue job creators and lose in court. 

“So Republicans updated their guidance. It was the first substantial update of the way the EEOC handles disputes and conciliation since 1977.

“It said that the employer in question deserves a written summary of the facts behind a complaint, a written explanation of the legal justification, a few other details, and 14 days to respond.

“This helps ensure the Commission is making a good-faith effort to see if the dispute can be settled outside of court before beginning a costly, adversarial process.

“Apparently even these modest steps were too much for my friends on the Democratic side.

“They want to roll back this progress.

“A number of groups have asked them not to do this — from small-business owners to builders and contractors to restaurant owners to retailers and beyond.

“The same employers that are already struggling to climb back out of this pandemic and re-hire workers. 

“They don’t need any more Washington headwinds in their faces. And taxpayers don’t need more of their dollars being funneled back toward trial lawyers.

“I urge Senators to vote against this resolution so the current, improved rule can be left in place.”

Related Issues: Jobs