Washington, D.C. — Yesterday, both the House and Senate passed, by unanimous consent, legislation amending the process for handling sexual harassment claims on Capitol Hill. The legislation now heads to the White House for President Trump’s signature. The bill does not require reimbursement of federal hush funds from the last two decades and does not disclose the identities of members of Congress who utilized this hush fund in the past.
“It has been over a year since the #MeToo revolution erupted, and it is high time that Congress deal with this issue on its own turf. Our representatives have finally come to terms with changes for which 1,500 staff members and countless citizens have asked.
“Finally, in the eleventh hour and during a lame duck session, things have begun to move along. However, there is more work to be done.
“Even with the passage of this bill, the American people are still denied full disclosure of who engages in sexual harassment in Congress. No one is exposed for these deeds. None of the $15 million worth of taxpayer money to settle claims in the past is returned to the Treasury. No one is held accountable for reimbursing these hush funds. Where is the transparency?
“Concerned Women for America continues to ask likely incoming-Speaker Pelosi to move immediately to disclose the names of every member of Congress who used the fund. This is not an issue we expect our elected officials to handle with kid gloves. The American people deserve to know. Congress works for us – not the other way around.”
For an interview with Penny Nance, contact Annabelle Rutledge at arutledge@cwfa.org or 916-792-3973.