CNN iReport

Jamie Leigh Jones was gang-raped by her co-workers at Halliburton/KBR co-workers in Iraq. (Her testimony can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh4XRdtqWCY&feature=video_response)

In order to prevent her from reporting the attack, Security locked her in a shipping container for more than a day.  The evidence collected in the rape kit by Halliburton/KBR security was subsequently "lost." She was told she could go home for medical treatment, but not to count on having a job anywhere with the company when she came back. The rape occurred outside of U.S. criminal jurisdiction and so she wanted to sue KBR for the environment that allowed permitted the crime and then covered it up.  However, she couldn't because her employment contracts with this company prohibit employees from suing for sexual assault.  They can only have a hearing in private binding arbitration--a private forum in which the arbitrator would be hired by Halliburton, the proceedings kept secret, and allowing no right to appeal the outcome.

This year, Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) proposed an amendment that would prohibit contractors using Government funds from asking employees to sign a contract giving up the right to sue.  It passed with a majority of votes, but not quite as many as you might think.  All Democrats voted yes, all female GOP senators and a few male GOP senators voted yes. 30 male GOP senators voted no. John Stewart, talking on his show about this part of the contract, referred to it as a "rape consent form" which it pretty much is. Here are the 39 Senators who voted against--I was ashamed to see one of my Senators on the list.

Alexander (R-TN)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Kyl (R-AZ)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Wicker (R-MS)

For more information:  http://www.jamiesfoundation.com/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/15/jon-stewart-takes-on-30-r_n_321985.html