Story highlights Since 1997, the US Treasury paid more than $17 million for settlements

The move comes as lawmakers pressured to shed light on the process

(CNN) The House Ethics Committee on Friday requested that the Office of Compliance provide the committee with all the records it has on claims of sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation and other prohibited behavior by House employees, including sitting members of Congress.

In a letter to Susan Tsui Grundmann, the executive director of the Office of Compliance, the committee's chair and ranking member, Reps. Susan Brooks, an Indiana Republican, and Ted Deutch, a Florida Democrat, wrote: "We request that you promptly provide the Committee with all records in the possession of the Office of Compliance related to any claims of sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, or any other employment practice prohibited by the Congressional Accountability Act involving alleged conduct by any current Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House of Representatives."

CNN has reached out to Grundmann for comment on Friday's letter and request. When previously asked about disclosing such information, Grundmann told CNN on Thursday, "We provide them the access if they ask for it."

The move comes as lawmakers face growing pressure to shed light on the secretive means through which sexual harassment claims are handled in Congress, including opening up the process through which settlements are paid in harassment or discrimination cases. Two members of Congress, Democratic Rep. John Conyers of Michigan and Democratic Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota, are under investigations by congressional ethics committees, Conyers for multiple allegations that he sexually harassed employees and Franken after multiple women said he had touched them inappropriately

Over the past 20 years, the US Treasury has paid more than $17 million for settlements involving congressional employment complaints, including sexual harassment. However, the law does not mandate that the Office of Compliance release publicly how much was paid to settle each case that involved sexual harassment allegations or to say how many of the cases settled even involved sexual harassment.

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