Congress quietly preserves ability to pay sexual harassment settlements with taxpayer money

[Amica Nostra 4,803]

https://thinkprogress.org/gillibrand-sexual-harassment-reform-in-jeopardy-307a68b831e5/

 

An overhaul of Capitol Hill’s workplace misconduct system is in jeopardy and likely won’t be attached to a government spending bill this week, diminishing the likelihood of reform before the midterm elections, according to Politico.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), who introduced the bipartisan Congressional Harassment Reform Act last December, said on Monday that House and Senate leadership “stripped” provisions from the language from the spending bill at the eleventh hour.  

 

“I am appalled that House and Senate leadership removed provisions from the omnibus bill at the last minute that would have finally brought accountability and transparency to Congress’s sexual harassment reporting process,” said Gillibrand in a statement released Monday.

Among its provisions, the act requires that members of Congress personally pay for sexual harassment settlements when they are found liable. Currently, lawmakers can tap taxpayer funds to settle with victims. Also, unless the victim opts for privacy, under the act, settlements would automatically be made public, thus lifting the veil of secrecy around the process

[Dashinka 24,492]

Actually, I would do it a little different.  I would let them use the public funds, but all settlements must be published, so the public knows what is happening with respect to their representatives.  I would give them the option to use their personal money if they want to keep these settlements out of the public eye.  Lastly, I would not limit it to just sexual harassment cases, but it should apply to all forms of workplace harassment.