House votes to overhaul sex harassment rules
WASHINGTON — With no opposition, the U.S. House last week approved new pol- icies on how sexual harassment cases involving members of Congress are dealt with, also approving a change in the rules of the House, to now strictly prohibit rela- tionships between a lawmaker and staffers under their supervision.
“People can’t hide behind the process anymore,” said Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va., as the House moved to change a system that kept sexual harassment details quiet and had taxpayers pay ber, delegate, or resident for any lawsuit damages. commissioner.”
“The members’ names “From members to staff, will be known, and taxpay- no one should feel unsafe ers will not be on the hook serving in Congress,” said for any of this,” Comstock House Speaker Paul Ryan. said on the House floor. “My hope is that this legis
“It holds members person- lation will help make hos- ally financially responsible, tile workplaces in Congress ending the charade of hava relic of the past.” ing taxpayers foot the bill “We in Congress must lead, for abuses,” said Rep. Chris not only by strong legislaSmith, R-N.J.. tion, but by example,” said
The new Ho u se rule Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md. doesn’t leave much wiggle “We also need a full room, as it specifically says accounting of any payments that lawmakers “may not that are being made with tax engage in a sexual relation- dollars – this bill does that,” ship with any employee of said Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla. the House who works under The changes on Capitol Hill the supervision of the mem- occurred after the “MeToo” movement began to bubble around the country in recent months, bringing forward questions about how Congress handled such matters, as it was discovered that taxpayers had paid legal bills for the wrongdoing of a small number of lawmakers.
Questions about sexual harassment also forced several members to decide against a re-election bid in 2018 as well.
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