Early last month, the House passed a bill that would overhaul the process by which representatives and Congressional staffers file workplace harassment and discrimination complaints. Under the existing Congressional Accountability Act (which dates back to 1995), accusers are required to attend counseling and mediation, as well as wait out a month-long “cooling off period” before they can even file a complaint against a colleague. Additionally, the new bill prohibits members of Congress from using taxpayer money to settle their own sexual harassment cases, something that most of us can probably agree should definitely never have been allowed to happen in the first place.
Once that bill was passed by the House, it moved onto the Senate. But its now sat there for nearly two months now without ever coming to vote. It was hoped to be included in a recent spending bill, but ended up being left out.
Now female senators are demanding to know what’s behind the delay. All 22 women of the Senate have signed a letter addressed to Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer, expressing “deep disappointment” that no action has been taken on this bill.
The letter reads, “We urge you to bring before the full Senate legislation that would update and strengthen the procedures available to survivors of sexual harassment and discrimination in congressional workplaces.”
“Inaction is unacceptable when a survey shows that four out of 10 women congressional staffers believe that sexual harassment is a problem on Capitol Hill and one out of six women in the same survey responded that they have been the survivors of sexual harassment,” it goes on to say. “No longer can we allow the perpetrators of these crimes to hide behind a 23-year-old law.”
The letter was written by three Democratic Senators (Amy Klobuchar, Patty Murray, and Kirsten Gillibrand), but was signed by every female Senator on both sides of the aisle because protecting the women of Congress from sexual harassment and discrimination isn’t a partisan issue. It shouldn’t be a gender issue either, but here we are.
In a statement, Schumer said, “We strongly agree that the Senate should quickly take up legislation to combat sexual harassment on Capitol Hill.” So then what’s the hold-up, Chuck?
(via Washington Post, image: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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