Congressional negotiators said they’d reached agreement Wednesday on legislation aimed at holding lawmakers accountable for sexual harassment, setting up potential passage before the end of the year.
The final text had yet to be released, but those involved in the negotiations said the changes will speed up investigations, make it easier for people to lodge complaints, and make lawmakers reimburse the government for any settlements paid on claims against them. It would also provide for more transparency, with public reporting of lawmaker settlements.
“If you make a settlement, you’re fully responsible for that settlement if your conduct was responsible,” said Sen. Roy Blunt, Missouri Republican and chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, who helped lead the negotiations.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, the ranking Democrat on the rules panel, said the new procedures are “set up for justice and not just for political protection.”
Congress was under pressure to take action in the wake of the #MeToo movement and revelations that members of Congress engaged in sexually inappropriate behavior. Both the House and Senate rushed to clamp down earlier this year — particularly after it was revealed that taxpayers footed the bill for tens of thousands of dollars in settlement payments.
The House bill went further than the Senate version over liability for settlements, and the last months have been spent trying to figure out a compromise.
Lawmakers said the bill will most likely be passed out of the Senate by the end of the week, then go to the House for a vote next week, ahead of a year-end adjournment.
The deal was also celebrated by the lower chamber, with a House aide saying the final outlines hew fairly closely to the bill they passed earlier this year.
“The Senate accepted most changes that House negotiators sought to bridge the differences in their respective bills,” the aide told The Washington Times.
The House bill, which passed by voice vote Feb. 6, forced lawmakers to repay the government for discrimination and sexual harassment settlements, and would give the ethics committee access to records. The House bill would also allow the government to withhold money from lawmakers’ pension payments if they retire before they pay back any settlements.
That was the case with former Rep. Blake Farenthold, a Texas Republican who promised to repay $84,000 from a harassment settlement — then reneged after leaving office.
Wednesday’s compromise limits lawmakers’ liability to claims stemming from their own behavior related to harassment. They are not liable for the conduct of their staff.
The compromise limits lawmakers’ liability only to claims stemming for their own behavior. They are not liable for the conduct of their staff.
“You want an individual member to have to pay if it is their own conduct and that is what really bothers the public, understandably,” Ms. Klobuchar said.
It remains unclear if the new bill would be retroactive, and apply to victims who have launched complaints in the past several months.
House negotiators said they wished the compromise had gone further in holding lawmakers personally responsible for discrimination settlements, too. They said they’ll try again next year on that, and on legislation to improve education on workplace rights and duties.
“While this compromise with the Senate is a good first step, House Republicans and Democrats remain committed to working in a bipartisan manner to address outstanding issues in the 116th Congress,” the joint statement said.
Senators said the bill does provide victims with a legal expert to walk them through their options, in addition to speeding up investigations.
“This was our responsibility this Congress, and we will have a brand new Congress of a lot more women — a lot more diversity — that’s exciting,” Ms. Klobuchar said. “It was incumbent on us to get this done.”
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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