Posted on 12/15/2017 9:38:29 PM PST by Oshkalaboomboom
The time is now to make a change.
Regardless of their career, women have had it with being diminished, condescended to, passed over, and belittled. They have had it with inappropriate touching, leering words, innuendos, and emotional or verbal abuse. Regardless if it’s the entertainment world, a school, a doctor’s office, a bank, or Capitol Hill, women have a right to expect behavioral decency in the workplace. Throughout my career, whether in the private or public sector, I have sought to encourage women in the workplace. An acceptance of seediness and vulgarity has seeped into our culture, and now it is up to us to take a stand against it. Enough is enough.
I have spoken to so many women around my district who are at the end of their careers. They are now thrilled that their daughters and granddaughters will have someone to listen to their complaint when they report men behaving badly. It is time. Shame on us if we let this opportunity pass and not change the workplace culture.
To be elected a representative and to fight each and every day on Capitol Hill for the people I serve is truly something I will forever be grateful for. Elected officials owe it to their constituents to work as hard as they can each and every day. We are here to serve and listen to their concerns.
I felt disgust and disappointment when I heard there was a secret hush fund for members of Congress to settle sexual harassment and sexual assault claims. It highlights why D.C. truly is “the swamp”.
The Congressional Accountability and Hush Fund Elimination Act is a step in the right direction. I, like many members of Congress, had no idea this hush fund even existed. It is part of the Office of Compliance, and $17 million of taxpayer money has been used to settle claims against members of Congress. While we don’t know how much was used for sexual harassment and sexual assault settlements, it is something that we are going to find out, and we are going to require that those Members who did use this fund pay back this money to the American people- with interest. It will also prevent settlements of this kind in the future, bringing accountability and transparency to the process.
One of the most important parts of this act is that it will no longer require women who step forward with a sexual harassment or sexual assault claim to sign a non-disclosure agreement. They will not be silenced. It will also expose members of Congress who used this fund as a personal bailout. It will not, however, expose the victims’ names. If they want to step forward, that is their choice.
It is time for us to take active steps to ensure there is a workplace culture that consists of respect and equal treatment. This starts within the halls of Congress. We need to set a standard that tells the rest of the world that mistreatment of women will not be tolerated. Women should feel free to step forward and make their voices heard, knowing there will be transparency throughout the process, but also knowing they will not be hurt by the process. The American people, equally, should know that their hard-earned money is not being used for a secret hush fund, to bail out an elected member when they behave in a wrong way.
We have reached a tipping point. As a conservative woman who has worked hard my whole life to fight these unacceptable standards, I am proud that there can finally be a change, so let’s pass this bi-partisan legislation. We must create a system of accountability and transparency so every American can thrive. Sexual harassment isn’t something we should just accept as a consequence of putting men and women together in a work environment.
She likely doesn’t know the names. By the way, Marsha is a SOLID American Patriot and, God willing, the next Republican Senator from Tennessee.
I need to get my oil changed. I like to use synthetic. But I think I’ll wait instead of trying it on a Saturday.
Nonetheless, I can’t help but wonder what will be the long-term unintended consequences of this prosecution will be for women in the workplace. There are almost always unintended consequences...
Probably for the same reason she never demanded Ryan resign as speaker
and still hasn’t called for Mitch to resign as Majority Leader.
She pretends to be a conservative, but is really part of the swamp
too.
Oh good, the Anti-Sex League was here and left brochures. I was out burning Carrie A. Nation in effigy. Thanks Oshkalaboomboom.
Her point here is to vote against tax payer funded slush funds to settle cases out of court.
That’s going to be a gimme, anyway. Who pray tell would vote in favor of a slush fund?
More important, if these charges have so much weight then take the complaint to the cops.
People madly build their houses out of straw, and now they are complaining about wildfires.
I’m not a fan of witch trial rhetoric or oh poor women rhetoric regardless of whether it comes from the right or left. Life for men is no less hard if not harder than for women especially in the Western world. Every aspect of society is set up against men yet they’re constantly told how easy they have it and what monsters they are. You can’t let loose on our shoe and tell us its raining.
As long as the money kept flowing in, and Obama was in the Off-White House, they were fine, Bill "Date Rape" Cosby notwithstanding.
Yep.
And will lose to Bredesn.
Somebody did. That's how it got there in the first place. The million dollar question is the one nobody seems to be asking.
The prostitutes outing the Johns now? Who is at fault in all of this?
They have had it with inappropriate touching,
And you can stop right there...the rest is indefinable touchy feely bs.
“He made me feel bad...” is not a crime...Women want to be treated equally? Get over yourselves and stfu.
12/15 POLITICO https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/15/congress-harassment-claims-house-office-297734
EXCERPT Meredith McGehee, executive director at the government watchdog group Issue One advocated for the creation of the Office of Compliance, which oversees employee complaints, in the 1990s, said she was not aware the Office of House Employment Counsel was involved in sexual harassment or other similarly delicate disputes.
DeleTE However, the Office of House Employment Counsel appears to have played a role in other delicate staff-related issues in addition to the one involving Farenthold’s office. The Washington Times recently reported that Arizona Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva consulted the office on handling a dispute involving an employee who eventually accepted a $48,000 severance package, though Grijalva did not specify the nature of the complaint.
“On the advice of House Employment Counsel, I provided a severance package to a former employee who resigned,” Grijalva told the newspaper. “The severance did not involve the Office of Compliance and at no time was any allegation of sexual harassment made, and no sexual harassment occurred.”
The office’s investigation into Farenthold’s chief of staff came only a year after the member himself had been accused himself of sexual harassment in a lawsuit and investigated by the Office of Congressional Ethics.
It is unclear whether any details of the workplace investigation in 2016 were shared with other investigative bodies such as the ethics office or the House Ethics Committee. House leaders and the Office of House Employment Counsel declined to say whether the counsel shares information with other investigative bodies.
Citing attorney-client privilege, the Office of House Employment Counsel also declined to answer questions from POLITICO on how many investigations it helped facilitate and pay for in recent years, how much money it has paid to outside firms, and which law firms conducted the investigations.
“As needed, OHEC may arrange for an independent firm to conduct investigations of an office so that a determination can be made whether there is a need for the office to take appropriate corrective actions,” a House Office of Employment Counsel spokesperson said in an email.
Spokespeople for both House Speaker Paul Ryan and House
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi disclaimed any knowledge of the counsel office’s investigations or policies.
“We have no independent knowledge of how or in what way OHEC/independent investigation was used or conducted,” Ryan spokesperson AshLee Strong said in an email.
The Office of House Employment Counsel appears to have played a role in delicate staff-related issues. The Washington Times recently reported that Arizona Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva consulted the office on handling a dispute involving an employee who eventually accepted a $48,000 severance package, though Grijalva did not specify the nature of the complaint.
“On the advice of House Employment Counsel, I provided a severance package to a former employee who resigned,” Grijalva told the newspaper. “The severance did not involve the Office of Compliance and at no time was any allegation of sexual harassment made, and no sexual harassment occurred.”
The office’s investigation into Farenthold’s chief of staff came only a year after the member himself had been accused himself of sexual harassment in a lawsuit and investigated by the Office of Congressional Ethics.
It is unclear whether any details of the workplace investigation in 2016 were shared with other investigative bodies such as the ethics office or the House Ethics Committee. House leaders and the Office of House Employment Counsel declined to say whether the counsel shares information with other investigative bodies.
Citing attorney-client privilege, the Office of House Employment Counsel also declined to answer questions from POLITICO on how many investigations it helped facilitate and pay for in recent years, how much money it has paid to outside firms, and which law firms conducted the investigations.
“As needed, OHEC may arrange for an independent firm to conduct investigations of an office so that a determination can be made whether there is a need for the office to take appropriate corrective actions,” a House Office of Employment Counsel spokesperson said in an email.
Spokespeople for both House Speaker Paul Ryan and House
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi disclaimed any knowledge of the counsel office’s investigations or policies.
“We have no independent knowledge of how or in what way OHEC/independent investigation was used or conducted,” Ryan spokesperson AshLee Strong said in an email.
The Office of House Employment Counsel operates under the auspices of the House clerk’s office and advises members on employment practices. It also facilitates investigations into employee complaints, a spokesperson confirmed to POLITICO.
But what happens afterward is murky: The office appears to serve House members and their offices — not necessarily the employees — and makes no public accounting of its determinations or its expenditures.
A spokesperson for the office declined to say how many sexual harassment complaints or other investigations it’s handled in recent years, citing attorney-client privilege. It also declined to reveal the firms that it hired or the amount paid to them. In addition, both Democratic and Republican House leadership offices declined to answer questions about the internal investigations.
The revelation that there is a separate office facilitating and paying for sexual harassment investigations, with little transparency and apparently little oversight, rankled critics of Congress’ handling of sexual harassment, who said that without established procedures and a commitment to transparency, the office may be playing more of a role covering up offenses than revealing them.
Web site
https://www.compliance.gov/about-ooc/our-pledge
OUR PLEDGE
We appreciate that workplace rights issues can be stressful to deal with, difficult to manage, and challenging to understand. So when someone calls to speak to our counselors about a sensitive workplace issue, we are committed to providing prompt, courteous, and responsive information to help them better understand their rights and responsibilities. All counseling calls with the OOC are strictly confidential.
When we inspect properties to determine compliance with safety and health and disability access, we are committed to working with employing offices to help them understand the law and to provide the information necessary to cure any potential violations.
Finally, we strongly believe that understanding the laws incorporated in the Congressional Accountability Act is the best way to prevent workplace conflict, and as such, we are committed to being a vital, educational resource for Congressional Members, employing offices, and legislative branch employees through our publications and training programs.
The Office of Compliance is part of the legislative branch and is therefore not subject to the Freedom of Information Act.
OOC’s Organizational Structure
The OOC has a five-member, non-partisan Board of Directors and four executive staff, appointed by the Board, who carry out the day-to-day functions of the Agency. The Office also employs an experienced professional staff on Capitol Hill who educate, communicate, inspect, litigate, and otherwise run its operations.
About the Office of Comliance
The Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) protects over 30,000 employees of the legislative branch nationwide and establishes the Office of Compliance (OOC) to administer and ensure the integrity of the Act through its programs of dispute resolution, education, and enforcement. The OOC assists members of Congress, employing offices and employees, and visiting public in understanding their rights and responsibilities under the workplace and accessibility laws.
The OOC advises Congress on needed changes and amendments to the CAA; and the OOC’s General Counsel has independent investigatory and enforcement authority for certain violations of the CAA.
OOC’s Organizational Structure
The OOC has a five-member, non-partisan Board of Directors and four executive staff, appointed by the Board, who carry out the day-to-day functions of the Agency. The Office also employs an experienced professional staff on Capitol Hill who educate, communicate, inspect, litigate, and otherwise run its operations.
John Adams Building
110 2nd Street SE, Room LA 200
Washington, DC 20540-1999
Phone: 202-724-9250
Fax: 202-426-1913
Report: Taxpayers Forked Out $220,000 To Settle Sex Harassment Suit Against Florida Democrat Alcee Hastings;
It’s the second known instance of a lawmaker using taxpayer dollars to quiet misconduct allegations.
By Mary Papenfuss / HuffPost
Taxpayer funds to the tune of $220,000 were used to settle a lawsuit charging Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) with sexual harassment, Roll Call has reported.
Hastings was accused of touching, making unwanted sexual advances and threatening the job of a female staffer on a congressional international human rights commission he chaired, according to documents obtained by Roll Call.
Hastings called the accusations against him “ludicrous” and told Roll Call that he had no knowledge of the 2014 settlement with staffer Winsome Packer, which he said was handled by the Senate Chief Counsel for Employment. Funds were paid out by the Treasury Department.
Hastings told Roll Call he was “outraged” that the money was “needlessly paid to Ms. Packer.”
It’s the second reported instance of taxpayer money being being used to settle a sexual harassment claim against a congressman. Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) used $84,000 in taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment claim brought by his former spokeswoman in 2014, The New York Times reported. The funds reportedly came from an Office of Compliance account.
House Administration Committee Chairman Gregg Harper (R-Miss.) told GOP lawmakers that there was only a single case of those particular funds being used to settle a sex harassment suit. The House Committee on Ethics voted Thursday to investigate Farenthold over the payout.
It’s not clear why Hastings’ settlement was not included in a record of such payouts over the last five years released in November by the Office of Compliance. The Farenthold payment was included. It’s possible that funds from another taxpayer source were used in the Hastings case.
Rep. Mia Love (R-Utah) has called for Farenthold to resign. “I don’t think he thinks he’s done anything wrong,” Love told CNN on Thursday. “But the fact is, someone was paid off. It’s taxpayer dollars that [were] used. This is about people taking responsibility for what they do and changing the culture in Washington.”
Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) also said in a statement that Farenthold should step aside and reimburse the taxpayer money. On Friday, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) also called for Farenthold’s resignation.
Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) have resigned in the wake of sexual harassment accusations. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) also announced he will be are resigning “in the coming weeks.”
Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? H
ping
There are a few women who ARE NOT a cross between the Virgin Mary and Mother Teresa. Some of those women use sexuality and 'putting out' to move up the corporate ladder.
Not only does this behavior work as an incentive for men to hit on other women in an office setting but it steals job promotions from harder working and more qualified women.
Can we assume Hollywood stars who didn't complain about Weinstein - - but got on the first rung of the ladder after meeting with him were putting out? Lots of bimbos on TV... Matt Lauer has his share with full knowledge of those around him. I suspect his 'popularity' wasn't based on his looks or charm...
Women need to learn how to say no - without feeling the women one desk over will get the promotion... AND there needs to be a statue of limitation. Complaints from 20 years ago - with all witnesses gone are unacceptable.
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