Today, I'm back on Capitol Hill leading the Rules Committee as we consider H.R. 2547, Comprehensive Debt Collection Improvement Act, and H.R. 1065, Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
The Comprehensive Debt Collection Improvement Act will strengthen consumer protections and get harassing debt collectors off the backs of American families. One in three Americans are now being pursued by a debt collector. And abusive debt collector practices, like collection lawsuits and wage garnishes, disproportionately harm communities of color and low-income communities. The Comprehensive Debt Collection Improvement Act would make a series of reforms to rein in egregious debt collection practices and protect families from abusive behavior.
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which I'm an original cosponsor of, aims to further protect pregnant workers from discrimination in the workplace. Congress passed a law outlawing pregnancy discrimination more than forty years ago. But even today, we see countless examples of employers firing or otherwise discriminating against pregnant workers. For example, when instead of giving a pregnant store clerk access to a stool or water, the employer points to the employee handbook to justify saying, “You’re fired.” Or, when instead of management engaging with a pregnant worker to ensure she is safe and following her doctor’s orders, the manager says, “You’re fired.” Nobody should have to hear those words when a simple, reasonable accommodation like a chair or a bottle of water could keep them working and providing for their family. I’m hopeful that now is the time this bill can not only pass the House, as it did last Congress, but also pass the Senate and be signed into law.
