WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) sent a letter to Chairman Pai urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to enforce employment discrimination protections for furloughed FCC employees. In the letter, Congresswoman Clarke encouraged the FCC to waive or extend the applicable complaint filing periods for the duration of the shutdown.
In the event that the FCC does not have the authorization to do so, Congresswoman Clarke is urging the FCC to provide legal analysis supporting a conclusion of the lack of the FCC’s authorization on this issue.

The letter says in part:

“At a time when furloughed FCC employees are facing the stress and uncertainty of not knowing when they will receive their next paycheck, it is unreasonable that they might also lose employment discrimination protections if they do not file a complaint within this window. I urge you to consider, pursuant to federal regulations, waiving or extending the applicable complaint filing periods for the duration of the shutdown.[1] If you do not believe you have the authority to do so, please provide your legal analysis supporting that conclusion.”

View the letter here.