Chuck Todd interviews Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) about taxpayer money used to fund settlements for sexual harassment suits filed against members of the U.S. Congress. In the last 15 years, nearly $15 million of taxpayer-subsidized sexual harassment suits have been settled out of court without the name of the Congressmember or the victim.



Speaking about the "victim blaming" of the Clinton sexual harassment era, Speier said she was "offended" that she had to explain to her then-6-year-old child what a blowjob was.



"What you're saying now is you know of two individuals (Congressmembers) who have paid out sexual harassment settlements. So taxpayer money has been used to protect the identity of these members of Congress?" Todd asked the Congresswoman on Tuesday's edition of Meet the Press Daily.











"One member of Congress has settled a claim and there has been a taxpayer settlement," Speier said.



"If the taxpayers are involved don't we have the right to know?" Todd asked.



"Well, I think you do have the right to know," she said. "But right now under the system, you don't have the right to know."



"$15 million has been paid out over sexual harassment claims, so obviously more than one member of Congress, you know how many over time that is? I know that some of them are former members now?" the host asked.



"I don't really know how many members that entails," Speier answered.



Todd incredulously asked if the settled lawsuits should be retroactively disclosed.



"Is this some information that's going to get disclosed now overtime? Now, consider this is taxpayer money it feels as if, I assume if you put it to a vote -- is this something that you think should be retroactively done? Let me ask it that way," he said.



"I think we have to represent that moving forward this has got to be done," the Congresswoman said. "I can't think tinker with preexisting contracts that have been signed off by both parties. However, I think moving forward it should absolutely be a component."



Todd asked how bad the Democratic response of "victim shaming" during the allegations against Bill Clinton looks in hindsight.



"It's bad," she said. "I remember being a young mother to a 6-year-old at the time and having to explain to him what a blowjob was."