re: #439 marjoriemoon

Franken is mostly working on healthcare reform. I believe he supports the public option, tho I didn’t see it on his page. I was looking for non-healthcare related topics actually.

1. More money for training programs for school principals to be included in No Child Left Behind Act.

2. Supported legislation for federal dairy assistance totaling $290 million.

3. Franken’s amendment on rape included in appropriations bill. An amendment offered by Sen. Al Franken that would withhold defense contracts from contractors if they restrict their employees from taking workplace sexual assault, battery and discrimination cases to court has been included in the final Defense Department appropriations bill, which is scheduled for a floor vote in the House today.

The measure was prompted by the case of Jamie Leigh Jones, a former Halliburton/KBR employee who has alleged that she was raped by several co-workers while working in Iraq in 2005. Jones told reporters in October, after the amendment passed in the Senate, that its adoption “means that every tear shed to go public and repeat my story over and over again to make a difference for other women was worth it.”

4. Hold military contractors accountable for their actions. (see above).

Taken from Senator Franklin’s website

These are his good points? re #2. I don’t think dairy farmers, peanut farmers, cattle ranchers or anyone else needs my money to do their job. re #3. It is already illegal for anyone to prohibit their employees from pressing these charges in court. Having been in both theaters with said civilian employees, nothing prohibited this woman from walking into an MP head shed and saying someone had raped her…which is all it takes to get an investigation going. This is an alleged crime which she allegedly was too pressured to report to appropriate authorities. She allegedly told her employers (they deny it) and they allegedly did not pursue it. They were wrong (if guilty) but existing laws already cover it. This is an easy political gambit intended to make the current administration look bad and Franken look sympathetic. Meaningless drivel. Which makes #4 look pretty pathetic since it apparantly is only #3 rehashed. So, 1 point for Sen Franken.