Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal Act of 2022

Floor Speech

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Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, this morning I went to a breakfast where I heard the thoughts of Miss Sheila Bair. Miss Bair is a Republican. She describes herself as a Midwest Republican who worked on Senator Dole's staff for 8 years. She is a former assistant secretary of the Treasury and a former head of the FDIC under Republican Presidents.

She said specifically the problems with inflation in this country are worldwide. They are the supply chain, which is worldwide, caused by the pandemic in China and other problems. They are worldwide. So any more of this rhetoric about Biden and his problems with the supply chain, it is not Biden; it is a worldwide problem.

The same thing for the price of oil. Yesterday, in Judiciary Committee we heard someone say it is Biden's fault that the price of oil has gone up. The price of oil is a worldwide market. President Biden's actions do not affect the worldwide market. It is supply and demand. We need to not hear these canards.

And the same for this bill. This is, as Mr. Nadler said, forced arbitration. Mr. Johnson has been working on this for years, and I compliment him on his work and his success. This gives consumers a chance to get their cases heard and to get a rightful judgment, not be forced to take an arbitration that is almost always entirely pro- business.

This is the difference between Republicans and Democrats. Democrats look out for people, people who have had injustice done to them and look for a way to correct it and give them equity. Republicans look to business, who caused the harm, and try to defend them and keep their pockets full.

I support the bill. All American consumers would support the bill. I urge its passage.

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

The distinguished chairman of the committee offered to correct me by saying that the bill only prohibits forced arbitration, said that was a correction, as if I misspoke as to facts.

Let me read from the language of the bill: ``Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, no predispute arbitration agreement or predispute joint-action waiver shall be valid or enforceable with respect to an employment dispute, consumer dispute, antitrust dispute, or civil rights dispute.''

The word ``forced'' was not in that language, Madam Speaker. It prohibits all predispute arbitration agreements and post-joint action waivers.

I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Gaetz).

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