"More than 85 years ago, our country passed the Fair Labor Standards Act, which in part declared that the exploitation of children in the workplace is unacceptable," Booker wrote in a statement last year, when a Democrat-led Senate failed to bring it forward. "Nearly a century later, our country is plagued by a scourge of child exploitation in factory floors, dangerous meat processing plants, restaurants and other workplaces across the country.
"The flagrant, ongoing violations of federal law are unacceptable, and we must do more to ensure our federal labor laws hold employers accountable when they put children in dangerous situations that jeopardize their well-being, safety and potentially their lives."
"I am proud to have worked with Senator Hawley to put forward a proposal that says — at a bare minimum — employers exploiting children should not be rewarded with federal contracts."