Bipartisan group unveils bill to protect older workers from age discrimination

• The bill would prevent employers from forcing workers into arbitration — essentially private courtrooms shielded from public view — when they allege age discrimination.
• The senators were joined by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), as well as former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson, who brought together the same team to pass the Ending Forced Arbitration Act last year.

State of play: At the press conference, Graham said that older workers are often forced out of companies as a way for employers to save money. But he put it more colorfully.

• "I'm at an age now where my friends were retiring and trust me, there's some shenanigans going on out there," he said.
• Graham noted that with the ranking Republican member of the Judiciary Committee supporting the bill, "we'll get this done as fast as we can."

Big picture: Gillibrand, Graham and Carlson teamed up last year to get a similar bill covering sexual harassment and assault passed.

• It's already had a broad impact on the corporate world — where employers can no longer include these kinds of clauses in contracts.

• The group is now trying to expand on that to cover older workers — a demographic with a lot of political heft, and one that's becoming increasingly important as the population ages.
• The issue is one that might be easier for Congress to understand -- the median age in the Senate is 65.

Of note: A separate bill seeking to end forced arbitration for race discrimination was introduced last month with no bipartisan support — and is unlikely to pass.

• Age discrimination is seen as an area that would be more palatable to the GOP.