[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 57 (Tuesday, April 8, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H2996]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      SEXUAL HARASSMENT AWARENESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Speier) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I have spent a fair amount of time on the 
House floor talking about sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape 
in the military; in fact, I have spoken 30 times about that issue. But 
it is apparent that we also need to spend some time talking about 
sexual harassment in this Chamber.
  This is the Congress of the United States of America. This is the 
House of Representatives of the United States of America. This is not a 
frat house.
  Regrettably, this week, another one of our colleagues was discovered 
engaged in inappropriate action with a member of his staff. This is not 
the first time. It will probably not be the last time. It happens on 
the Republican side. It happens on the Democratic side. That doesn't 
make it okay.
  Almost 25 years ago, Anita Hill testified before the Senate Judiciary 
Committee. There were six male Senators that questioned her. They 
suggested that she somehow had wanted it or was lying. I was so mad. I 
remember watching that testimony and throwing my slipper at the 
television. That was in 1991.
  The following year, 1992, was called the Year of the Woman in 
Congress. Women were mad. That year, more women were elected to 
Congress than ever before. In fact, in California, we elected two U.S. 
Senators: Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer.
  It is time for us to recognize that we have a problem. It is not okay 
to fondle a staff member. It is not okay to make suggestive comments to 
a staff member. It is not okay to have provocative pictures on your 
computer. It is just not okay to conduct ourselves in that manner.
  Today, I am introducing a bill that I have been working on for some 
time that will require that every Member of this House and every staff 
member participate in a training on sexual harassment at least once 
every 2 years.
  We are only asking ourselves to do what is being done by over 60 
percent of the corporations in this country. In fact, in California, I 
carried legislation that required the posting of signage in every 
corporation about what sexual harassment was, the rights and 
responsibilities around it, and what steps you could take if it 
happened. We then took steps to make sure every member of the State 
legislature was subject to sexual harassment training at least once 
every 2 years.
  Here in Congress, there is an Office of Compliance. Ironically, the 
Office of Compliance is where you might report sexual harassment, but 
then the Office of Compliance is responsible for protecting the office. 
Go figure.
  It is time, Mr. Speaker, for us to clean up our act. It is time.

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