Lawmakers push for tougher sexual harassment standards on Capitol Hill

Deborah Barfield Berry | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Bipartisan sexual harassment bill introduced A bipartisan group of Senators and Congressional members introduce the 'METOO Congress Act' aimed at reforming how Congress handles sexual harassment. (Nov. 15)

WASHINGTON — Calling victims of sexual harassment on Capitol Hill “powerless and gagged,’’ Rep. Jackie Speier and a group of lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill Wednesday that would overhaul the complaint process and better protect accusers in Congress.

“Zero tolerance is meaningless unless it is backed up with enforcement and accountability,’’ said Speier, a Democrat from California.

The bill, called the Member and Employee Training and Oversight on Congress Act, or the METOO Act, plays off the #MeToo social media campaign that urges people who have been sexually harassed to share their stories.

“The MeToo movement is about bringing light to a very dark corner of our society,’’ said Speier. “I’m heartened that there’s enthusiastic support from colleagues on both sides of the aisle."

The effort comes in the wake of a growing number of people who have accused Hollywood power players, newsroom leaders and national politicians of sexual harassment and assaults.

“There is a serious sexual harassment problem in Congress and too many congressional offices are not taking this problem seriously at all," said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., a co-sponsor of the bill. “Congress should never be above the law. Congress should never play by its own set of rules."

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Earlier this month, the Senate passed a resolution requiring sexual harassment training for senators and staff. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said Tuesday the House will also be required to undergo training. The House Administration Committee held a hearing Tuesday focused on sexual harassment policies, including whether to require mandatory training.

“I don’t think there was any question that mandatory training is coming sooner rather than later," Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Miss., chairman of the committee, said after the hearing.

Currently, staffers can file a complaint at the Office of Compliance. The office was created in 1995 to enforce workforce protections in Congress, which had previously been exempt from most labor and accessibility laws.

But lawmakers said the complaint process can be confusing and long. They also said it doesn’t do enough to protect the victim and that some have complained about feeling harassed during the mediation process and required to sign a nondisclosure agreement.

Under the proposed bill, members of Congress and their staff would be required to undergo sexual harassment training. Victims would also have “whistleblower’’ protections.

If a member of Congress settles a claim, that member would have to repay the cost. Currently, the Office of Compliance makes payouts and taxpayers foot the bill. And the new legislation would require that if there is a settlement, the name of the office and the amount will be posted on a public website.

“Right now in the process, the only one that has counsel, paid for by the taxpayers of this country is the harasser," Speier said.

Speier said in the last 20 years there have been 260 congressional settlements costing $15 million. Those settlements, however, included other claims, among them racial discrimination, ageism and sexual harassment.

The measure also calls for the Office of Compliance to conduct a “climate survey’’ to gauge the extent of the problem.

Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, D-N.H., who said she was sexually assaulted by a guest 40 years ago when she worked on Capitol Hill, said the measure puts everyone on notice.

“Ignorance will no longer be an excuse," she said.