{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-calls-for-senate-action-on-bipartisan-reforms-to-protect-older-americans-from-workplace-discrimination", "Leahy Calls For Senate Action On Bipartisan Reforms To Protect Older Americans From Workplace Discrimination", "2016-09-15", "2016", "2016-09", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "09.15.16\n\t\t\t Leahy Calls For Senate Action On Bipartisan Reforms To Protect Older Americans From Workplace Discrimination \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON  Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is urging the top leaders of the Senate Health Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee to take up his bipartisan bill to protect older Americans from workplace discrimination. \r\nLeahy, in a bipartisan letter with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), noted that the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act (POWADA) would restore critical workplace protections for older Americans that were stripped away following the 2009 Supreme Court's decision in Gross v. FBL Financial. That decision made it far more difficult for older workers to fight age discrimination.\r\nWe are concerned that the Gross decision has allowed employers to discriminate on the basis of age with impunity as long as it is paired with other reasons, the senators wrote.\r\nThey added: The Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act would make clear that when an older worker shows that age was a motivating factor in employment discrimination, the burden is on the employer to prove it was not. This bill further extends the same standard of proof to other workplace discrimination claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This measure is crucial for all Americans to be fully protected under the law.\r\nWe urge you to swiftly take action and report this important legislation to reaffirm Congress' commitment to equal rights in the workplace.\r\nFull text of the letter, below:\r\nSeptember 15, 2016\r\nThe Honorable Lamar Alexander   Chairman, Senate Committee on   Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee   455 Dirksen Senate Office Building   Washington, D.C. 20510\r\nDear Chairman Alexander:\r\nWe write to express our strong support for S.2180, the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act, and ask that you mark up the bill quickly. This bill will restore vital civil rights protections for older workers that were restricted following the Supreme Court's decision in Gross v. FBL Financial, Inc. The Gross decision made it far more difficult for older workers to fight age discrimination. This bipartisan bill restores the intent of Congress to protect all workers from discrimination.\r\nOur Nation was founded on the principles of equal rights and opportunity for all Americans. In pursuit of these principles, Congress has enacted a wide array of civil rights laws to eliminate discrimination in society, including the workplace. Congress passed the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 to extend protections against workplace discrimination to older workers. We strengthened those protections in the Civil Rights Act of 1991.\r\nWe are concerned that the Gross decision has allowed employers to discriminate on the basis of age with impunity as long as it is paired with other reasons. In fact, age discrimination complaints filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission jumped nearly 30 percent between 2007 and 2008[1]. The American Association of Retired Persons found that more than one third of registered voters age 50 and over experienced or knew someone who had experienced age discrimination.[2]\r\nThe Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act would make clear that when an older worker shows that age was a motivating factor in employment discrimination, the burden is on the employer to prove it was not. This bill further extends the same standard of proof to other workplace discrimination claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This measure is crucial for all Americans to be fully protected under the law.\r\nWe urge you to swiftly take action and report this important legislation to reaffirm Congress' commitment to equal rights in the workplace. \r\n\r\n\r\nSincerely,\r\n\r\nPATRICK LEAHYCHARLES GRASSLEY\r\nRanking Member                                      Chairman\r\ncc:\r\nThe Honorable Patty Murray   Ranking Member, Senate Committee on   Health, Education, Labor and Pensions   154 Russell Senate Office Building   Washington, D.C. 20510\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\t  David Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-calls-for-senate-action-on-bipartisan-reforms-to-protect-older-americans-from-workplace-discrimination"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.108584925532341, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}