House committee unanimously approves anti-harassment training guidelines in markup
The House Administration Committee unanimously approved on Tuesday — without any changes — a resolution implementing required sexual harassment training and protecting the rights of everyone employed in the House.
The measure the House committee approved requires each House member, officer and employee — including interns — to complete a program of training in workplace rights and responsibilities for each session of Congress. Each session spans two years. The House already voted to mandate such training, but the committee approved the guidelines instituting that training within House regulations so offices know how to complete the training and provide required documentation, according to the committee's chairman, Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Mississippi.
The measure comes amid a flurry of sexual harassment allegations in Congress, which has resulted in the departure or impending departure of multiple House and Senate members, on both sides of the aisle. The measure's committee approval also comes as Harper informed the public Congress paid out $115,000 in sexual harassment claims between 2008 and 2012.
The members of the House Administration Committee did not offer any amendments to the measure, which was approved within minutes with few comments.
"As I have said throughout this committee's comprehensive review, there is simply no place for sexual harassment in our society, and especially in Congress," Harper said. "One case of sexual harassment is one case too many. I believe as members of Congress we must hold ourselves to a higher standard, a standard that demonstrates we are worthy of the trust placed in us by our constituents and the American people."
Ranking member Rep. Robert Brady, D-Pennsylvania, said the work to mandate harassment training "truly has been a bipartisan effort."
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, said members of Congress, "are not above the law and it's important for members and employees alike to understand our rights and responsibilities for the promotion of a healthy workplace environment."
The Senate already approved a measure requiring all senators, staff and interns to receive anti-sexual harassment training.
