LEGAL/POLITICS/WOMEN: “Two female lawmakers, one Republican and one Democrat, shared stories at a hearing Tuesday [11-14-17] about male members of Congress who engaged in sexual harassment, though they declined to name them.Two female lawmakers, one Republican and one Democrat, shared stories at a hearing Tuesday about male members of Congress who engaged in sexual harassment, though they declined to name them.
Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), who has long pressed for a stronger congressional anti-harassment system, testified before a House Administration Committee hearing on misconduct that she is aware of two sitting lawmakers, one in each party, who have perpetrated sexual misdeeds. Before Speier spoke, however, Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) said a member ‘decided to expose himself’ to a young female aide sent to drop off materials at his home…
Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.), a veteran employment attorney, proposed that lawmakers be required to pay for resolving workplace misconduct disputes that occur in their offices, a change from the current system that spends taxpayer money on confidential settlements.
The Senate last week approved a resolution instituting mandatory harassment training for members and aides, a shift from the current voluntary standard. The House is expected to follow suit but has yet to make the shift, and Speier called for a sweeping overhaul of a system that can force harassment victims to wait for months, and undergo mandatory mediation, before filing a complaint.”
-Elana Schor, “Members of Congress engaged in sexual harassment, lawmakers say,” Politico, Nov. 14, 2017 12:04pm