Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner is working across the aisle with New York Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand and other lawmakers on legislation that would overhaul how Congress handles sexual harassment claims.
The Congressional Harassment Reform Act, introduced Thursday, aims to increase transparency and accountability in current reporting processes at the U.S. Capitol. and also extend protections.
Specifically, Gardner’s office said, it would eliminate forced mediation and allow victims to speak publicly about their cases. Interns and congressional fellows would be covered by these protections and any member of Congress found liable of harassment would have pay for settlements out of their own pockets — instead of taxpayers’.
“No one should be forced to work in an environment where they are made to feel uncomfortable or intimidated,” said Gardner, a Republican, in a statement. “Let me be extremely clear: Sexual harassment and workplace misconduct has no place in America, and certainly has no place in the United States Congress.”
Let me be extremely clear: sexual harassment and workplace misconduct has no place in America, and certainly has no place in the United States Congress.
— Cory Gardner (@SenCoryGardner)
The bipartisan effort is notable, given the very public fight that Gillibrand had this week with President Donald Trump on the issue of sexual misbehavior.
Trump on Tuesday saying she had come to his office “begging” for campaign contributions and “would do anything” to get them. That came after Gillibrand earlier in the day called for Trump to resign because of the sexual misconduct allegations .
Gardner chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which puts him in charge of raising money to increase GOP ranks in the Senate.
But he’s clashed at times with Trump.
Gardner called on Trump to during the 2016 election following the release of a 2005 video that showed Trump making vulgar comments about women. Similarly, Gardner of Alabama’s Roy Moore after reports of past sexual behavior became public; Trump continued to back Moore, who this week lost a special U.S. Senate election to Democrat Doug Jones.
“Congress should never be above the law or play by their own set of rules,” Gillibrand said in a written statement. “We should treat every person who works here with respect and dignity, and that means creating a climate where there is accountability, fairness, respect and access to justice if sexual harassment takes place.”
Lawmakers in the Senate and House have been proposing different ways to address sexual harassment in Washington, D.C.
— from to the halls of Congress — has led to the resignations of many high-profile men, .
The Associated Press contributed to this report.