Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on Thursday slammed fellow Democrats for the party’s handling of sexual assault and harassment issues, and said there are Democrats running for the White House who have antiquated views of women’s rights.
“I can’t tell you how angry I am that Democrats…turn a blind eye to sexual assault, sexual harassment and any reforms that value women in the workplace,” the New York Democrat told a group of female labor leaders at an event in Iowa City on Thursday night, according to Iowa Starting Line.
Ms. Gillibrand was among the most vocal Democratic voices in the U.S. Senate calling for the resignation of former Sen. Al Franken in 2017 amid accusations of improper behavior.
She said earlier this week she doesn’t have any regrets, amid a new story in the New Yorker that re-examined Mr. Franken’s case and suggested he could have been railroaded into resigning.
Without naming names, Ms. Gillibrand also said at the event on Thursday that there are Democratic White House hopefuls who “do not believe necessarily that it’s a good idea that women work outside the home.”
“No joke. We have presidential candidates running right now who think the ’Me Too’ movement has gone too far,” she said. “What do you mean by that? Do you mean any woman who has come forward to say she has been sexually harassed or sexually assaulted shouldn’t be complaining?”
“What are you saying?” she continued. “That any man, especially a powerful man, a well-liked man should be able to grope you in the ass or grope you in the boob or forcibly kiss you? Is that what you believe?”
She said there are Democratic presidential candidates who think the standards of the party are “too high.”
“Really? How would you feel if your child was groped, anywhere on their body?” she said. “How would you feel if somebody you know and love is forcibly kissed without their consent? I don’t think it would be OK then.”
Current Democratic presidential front-runner Joseph R. Biden has faced past accusations by women of unwanted touching and groping. He tried to atone for the behavior before he entered the race, saying he understands that times are changing.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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