NPR

How Congress Handles Sexual Harassment Claims Needs Fixing, But No Deal Yet On Bill

Leaders have vowed to pass a bill changing how Congress handles claims, but the House and Senate versions have big differences. Taxpayers are still paying for any settlements involving lawmakers.

For months Congress has promised to come together and pass legislation to overhaul the system for handling accusations of sexual misconduct against members. Bipartisan negotiators say they are confident a bill will pass before the year is out, but still have some major issues to resolve with little time before the lame-duck session wraps up this month.

Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate all agree that the opaque and drawn out process in place now is broken. Early this year the House and Senate each easily passed separate proposals to update the arcane system that requires little transparency.

But, despite the push to streamline the system, progress stalled

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR5 min readCrime & Violence
Climate Activist Who Defaced Edgar Degas Sculpture Exhibit Sentenced
A federal judge sentenced Joanna Smith to 60 days in prison for smearing paint on the case surrounding Edgar Degas' Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen at the National Gallery of Art.
NPR2 min read
Biden Administration Abandons Plan To Ban Menthol Cigarettes, Citing 'Feedback'
An anti-smoking advocate says the decision to leave menthol cigarettes on the market "prioritizes politics over lives, especially Black lives."
NPR2 min readWorld
A Baby Girl Born Orphaned And Premature After An Israeli Airstrike In Gaza Has Died
The newborn died after five days in an incubator. Her family was killed in an air strike. UNICEF says 13,000 children have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, with thousands more orphaned and wounded.

Related Books & Audiobooks