Story highlights Tina Smith replaces Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota

Doug Jones replaces Sen. Luther Strange of Alabama

(CNN) Two senators who were newly sworn into office Wednesday -- Doug Jones of Alabama and Tina Smith of Minnesota -- have one thing in common.

Both Democrats may owe their new place in Congress to the #MeToo movement.

Smith, Minnesota's lieutenant governor, replaced former Sen. Al Franken, who resigned from the Senate after confronting multiple allegations of inappropriate touching and kissing. And Jones, a former federal prosecutor who had a historic victory against Republican nominee Roy Moore, may not have been able to pull off such an unlikely win had his opponent not been accused of molesting and pursuing young women years ago.

Gloria Allred, the high-profile lawyer who represented one of Moore's accusers and a slew of other women who have made allegations against powerful men, including President Donald Trump, told CNN in a phone interview Wednesday that "there's no more business as usual when it comes to sexual harassment."

"Women speaking out had an impact on institutional change and in the court of public opinion and it has created a climate in which sexual harassment is unacceptable. And it has caused change," Allred said. "Were it not for this movement building, Al Franken would never have had to step down and I think that Roy Moore would have been elected. So it has had an impact in the halls of power."

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