Graham and Mace join together on bipartisan act protecting older Americans

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham introduced the bipartisan Protecting Older Americans Act. He along with other senators and representatives including Congresswoman Nancy Mace were joined by Democratic senator Kirsten Gillibrand from New York and Democratic Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin from Illionois. The legislation would invalidate forced arbitration clauses that prevent age discrimination victims from seeking justice and public accountability.Forced arbitration, or pre-dispute arbitration, occurs when a company requires an employee to submit any potential dispute to binding arbitration as a condition of employment. As a result, employees waive their right to sue in court, enabling a culture of secrecy that shields bad actors.
The legislation builds off the lawmakers’ successful effort last Congress to invalidate forced arbitration agreements in cases of sexual harassment and sexual assault. According to a 2020 AARP survey, about 78% of older workers have either seen or experienced age discrimination in the workplace – the highest level since AARP began tracking this statistic in 2003.