Congress quietly preserves ability to pay sexual harassment settlements with taxpayer money

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Think Progress

Sen. Gillibrand said her legislation to reform the process was cut "at the last minute."
YVETTE CABRERA
MAR 19, 2018, 8:34 PM

An overhaul of Capitol Hill’s workplace misconduct system is in jeopardy and likely won’t be attached to a government spending bill this week, diminishing the likelihood of reform before the midterm elections, according to Politico.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), who introduced the bipartisan Congressional Harassment Reform Act last December, said on Monday that House and Senate leadership “stripped” provisions from the language from the spending bill at the eleventh hour.

“I am appalled that House and Senate leadership removed provisions from the omnibus bill at the last minute that would have finally brought accountability and transparency to Congress’s sexual harassment reporting process,” said Gillibrand in a statement released Monday.

Among its provisions, the act requires that members of Congress personally pay for sexual harassment settlements when they are found liable. Currently, lawmakers can tap taxpayer funds to settle with victims. Also, unless the victim opts for privacy, under the act, settlements would automatically be made public, thus lifting the veil of secrecy around the process.

Read more: https://thinkprogress.org/gillibrand-sexual-harassment-reform-in-jeopardy-307a68b831e5/

[sandensea]

1. Reminds me of the scene in Cannonball Run where Telly Savalas, who plays a mafioso, says:

"Sweetheart where you're going, everything's on the menu."

[Angry Dragon]

2. The people should not have to pay for congressional sex

[erronis]

5. Actually 96.7% of all sex with congress is paid for by lobbyists

Last edited Mon Mar 19, 2018, 11:10 PM - Edit history (2)

I just wanted to get some hard factoids into this discussion.

Oooh! Smilie:

Thanks Judi and Angry.

[Angry Dragon]

6. emoji are fairly easy

go to smilies above

[BigmanPigman]

3. Who is surprised...really?

It is a man's world yet women are 51% of the population. FUCK. THAT. SHIT.

[Crash2Parties]

4. Also, Congress is very busy destroying all their old records

They said it was to, "save money paid for storing them" and that it's mostly for "cases that did not go to court" - which would conveniently include all the harassment settlements up to the present day.

[erronis]

8. I hate to tell those old men (mostly them) - anything written electronically has been recorded

Period.

I don't care if someone has pressed the delete key on a file or carefully redacted parts of a document. Unless you mechanically destroy your media it can be read (and sometimes even after destruction.)

If you have been involved in any government interactions, everything that you emailed or received is recorded. Probably most of the private emails including encrypted ones. Doesn't matter if you are a bureaucrat or a pResident. Doesn't matter if you little fingers fondle a secure iPhone.

And this is not even what the NSA/CIA/FSB/etc. has recorded.

Think of this as the backup from hell (or heaven).

Cheney's Energy Meetings early in W's reign were recorded. I don't know by whom or where they are. They can be found. Nixon's 18min gap was resurrected back in the days of analog technology.

We can install microphones in the chambers of congress that will pick up whispers that the old men's ears have a hard time hearing.

Don't expect privacy if you work in or near the government.

Besides, if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.

[Crash2Parties]

9. These are the legal records of the settlements.

[Stuart G]

7. k and r..nt

[Nitram]

10. What! Those bastards!

[Stargazer99]

11. nothing like sucking off the public teat-welfare for those who

should damn well be paying themselves (it is called responsibility) you know what the powerful and well heeled keep telling poor people

[lagomorph777]

12. ...while committing political suicide.

These clowns will not be forgiven in November.

[Delphinus]

14. Only if

we can keep the voters apprised of these actions. Sadly, we have short memories.

[lagomorph777]

15. Time for #METOO to get on this!

[Firestorm49]

13. This is nuts.

Does having taxpayer dollars pay for some idiots sexual indiscretions make me complicit or in some perverted way, a partner in those acts? It’s too often incomprehensible the level of absurdity on display in Washington. What makes them special? If my neighbor does something of the sort, there are no taxpayer dollars to support his folly. Why are these fools subsidized with my money.
Every day is something more astounding than the day before.
TERM LIMITS NOW!!!!!

[lagomorph777]

16. We can limit their terms.

GOTV now!