NEW YORK (NY)
Fortune
April 4, 2018
By Catherine Cortez Masto
The numbers are startling. Four out of 10 female congressional staffers believe that sexual harassment is a problem on Capitol Hill, according to a 2016 CQ Roll Call survey. One out every six of these women say they themselves are survivors of sexual harassment. These numbers show just how widespread sexual misconduct continues to be in Congress. This culture must change.
Sexual harassment cannot be tolerated in our workplaces, and Congress is no exception. Earlier this year, the House of Representatives took decisive action and passed bipartisan reforms to the Congressional Accountability Act (CAA), an outdated law that currently requires sexual assault survivors to endure an antiquated and often expensive dispute resolution process. The House bill eliminates forced mediation and mandatory “cooling off” periods before a victim can bring a lawsuit.
The reforms increase transparency for awards and settlements, and require members of both the House and Senate to pay for settlements stemming from cases of sexual harassment or discrimination for which they are personally responsible. The House also passed legislation that provides staff who are survivors of harassment or discrimination access to free legal representation.
The fact that the Senate leadership has failed to bring similar legislation to a vote is simply unacceptable.
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