Women's Rights

Today, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) joined Reps. Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. and John Conyers, Jr. (MI-13) to introduce the Restoring Statutory Rights Act. This bill would ensure the rights of consumers and employees to sue for legally established rights and protections, including protection against wage discrimination. The bill amends the Federal Arbitration Act to prohibit mandatory pre-dispute (“forced”) arbitration agreements for claims rising under federal or state statute, the U.S. Constitution, or a state constitution. The bill would further require that a court determines whether an agreement is unconscionable, invalid because there was no meeting of the minds, or otherwise unenforceable as a matter of contract law or public policy. Under current law, parties may resolve statutory claims, including claims rising under anti-discrimination statutes, through forced arbitration.

Today, Rep. Judy Chu, the Ranking Member of the House Small Business Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access, hosted a hearing in her district at the Pasadena City Hall to examine the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs looking to obtain venture capital. Rep. Chu was joined by Rep. Steve Knight (CA-25), who chaired the hearing. They heard testimony from four local female venture capitalists and entrepreneurs about trends in the industry and difficulties faced in obtaining venture capital. According to a recent study by the Kauffman Foundation, 72% of women entrepreneurs listed access to capital as their most critical challenge to launching a new business.

Today, President Obama announced Merrick Garland as his nominee to replace the late Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court. Judge Garland, 63, has served on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit for 19 years.

Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3762, a Senate-passed reconciliation bill that repeals much of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and prevents federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Representatives Diana DeGette (D-CO), Judy Chu (D-CA), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), and Marc Veasey (D-TX) led a group of 155 Democrats and 2 Independents in filing an amicus brief in the case of Whole Woman’s Health v. Cole, which is currently pending before the Supreme Court of the United States and represents the most comprehensive challenge to the Supreme Court’s historic ruling in Roe v. Wade in nearly a decade. In the brief, Democrats call on the justices to uphold Roe v. Wade and reject efforts to undermine a woman’s constitutionally protected right to make her own choices about her own body.

On Friday, the Supreme Court announced that it will hear the Whole Woman’s Health v. Cole case, which challenges two provisions of a Texas state law that effectively shut down women’s health clinics.

Today, the House of Representatives passed the Women’s Public Health and Safety Act (H.R. 3495). This bill would allow states to withhold Medicaid reimbursements to doctors and other healthcare providers that legally perform abortions