Mitch Perry
U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch is joining a bipartisan coalition of House members to unveil legislation to improve workplace protections in Congress.
Under the proposal, called the “Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act,” taxpayers would no longer pay for sexual harassment settlements involving members of Congress.
Members would be required to pay such settlements themselves, as opposed to the current system, which has been described as confusing and secretive.
“At a moment when women around the country are standing up to sexual harassment, Congress is finally taking action to strengthen our antiquated workplace protections,” said Deutch, the ranking member of the House Committee on Ethics. “The Congressional Accountability Act passed almost a quarter of a century ago, and victims of sexual harassment in Congress have encountered a system with no transparency, little respect for the abused, and too many hurdles to seeking justice.
“Everyone – from Congressional interns to Members of Congress – deserves a safe workplace environment free from harassment or abuse. This bill will make it easier for victims to speak out, ensure that legal resources are available to them, and most importantly offer them a way to seek justice without fear of retribution. And when Members of Congress pay for their bad behavior, taxpayers will no longer foot the bill.”
The Office of Compliance released information in November indicating that it has paid victims of sexual harassment more than $17 million since its creation s. That included all settlements, not just related to sexual harassment, but also discrimination and other cases.
The bill removes the requirement that a nondisclosure agreement be signed in order for someone to open a complaint.
It also say that any confidentiality agreement must be agreed upon by both parties. It also removes a mandatory 30-day counseling stage and 30-day mediation stage that has often intimidated accusers from moving forward. Instead, an investigation is opened immediately and mediation is voluntary, according to a summary of the legislation by NBC News.
A number of members of Congress have resigned their seats in recent months due to allegations of sexual harassment or assault, including Michigan Democratic Rep. John Conyers, Arizona Republican Rep. Trent Franks and Minnesota Democratic Senator Al Franken. Texas Republican Rep. Blake Farenthold and Nevada Democratic Rep. Ruben Kihuen have also announced they would not seek reelection following multiple sexual harassment allegations that emerged against them, and both face House ethics committee probes stemming from those claims.
