House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said Tuesday he did not know problems surrounding sexual harassment on Capitol Hill were as pervasive as they appear to be after accusations continued to mount against lawmakers.
“No, I didn’t,” said Hoyer, a 36-year veteran of the House, when asked if he was aware in years past of the issues. “I am deeply distressed and disturbed by what I find to be the response of my daughters [and] women that work in my office.”
“This is … more pervasive than I thought it was,” Hoyer said at his weekly meeting with reporters. “It’s of great concern, and we need to deal with it effectively.”
The longtime Maryland Democrat’s comments come as accusations continue to pile up against Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., the longest serving member of the House.
Last week, a former employee of Conyers accused him of harassment and was paid $27,000 as a settlement. A second accuser — Deanna Maher, who worked for him from 1997-2005 — said Conyers made unwanted advances toward her on three occasions. A third accusation was published Tuesday morning alleging further sexual harassment and unwanted advances.
On Sunday, Conyers resigned as ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee, but leadership has not called for him to leave the House. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., also called him an “icon” in the U.S. during an appearance on “Meet The Press” two days ago.
Hoyer also said he believes the women accusing Conyers of sexual harassment in years past, but declined to call for Conyers’ resignation from Congress.
Instead, he called for the matter to be adjudicated in Congress.
“In every one of these cases, we need to have an adjudication, and if found culpable, then accountability needs to attach,” Hoyer said.
Hoyer lauded legislation introduced by Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., that would reform the sexual harassment complaint process on Capitol Hill and require lawmakers and staff to attend mandated sexual harassment training every year, but argued the legislation is not enough.
“The Speier legislation is an important step forward, but it’s not enough and we need to go further,” Hoyer said, adding that it is a “minimal” step.
Members are set to vote on the legislation Wednesday.
