House Ethics Committee Chairwoman Susan Brooks said Wednesday that she doesn’t know which lawmakers may have engaged in sexual harassment, after a House Democrat in a Tuesday hearing that at least two sitting members of the House have received complaints about their behavior.
Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., testified Tuesday that two current lawmakers have been the subject of sexual harassment complaints.
“There are two members of Congress, Republican and Democrat, right now who serve who have been subject to review, or not have been subject to review but have engaged in sexual harassment,” Speier said.
On Wednesday, Brooks, R-Ind., said it isn’t clear to her who Speier was talking about.
“When Jackie mentioned that there were two members, and she actually went into some detail about the allegations, I am not familiar, as chair of the House Ethics Committee, I am not aware of which two members she is referring to,” Brooks said on C-SPAN.
But Brooks invited staff to come forward with any information they have about any sexual harassment that takes place on or around Capitol Hill.
“That is a very, very serious allegation,” she said. “If employees or other people have been subjected to this type of harassment, whether it’s in an office, on the House floor or out of the office, it doesn’t matter whether it’s on Capitol Hill or off Capitol Hill, it is important that people come forward and that they share.”
“Because she is right, so much of sexual harassment, sexual misconduct goes unreported,” she said. “And it is important that people are held accountable.”
The Committee on House Administration held a Tuesday hearing in the wake of growing awareness about sexual harassment.
In the wake of that hearing, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said the House would mandate sexual harassment training for members and staff in the House. Brooks said Ryan and other House leaders want to do a better job holding people accountable for their actions.
“That’s what the speaker wants, that’s what the House Ethics Committee is about, it’s about holding people accountable,” she said.
Speier argued Tuesday that the current process for dealing with sexual harassment complaints is far too lengthy, and ends up protecting the harasser. Today, victims report sexual harassment to the Office of Compliance, and must first go through a 30-day counseling period, followed by a 30-day mediation period.
Only after another 30-day cooling off period can a formal complaint be made.
