Following the resignation of two members of Congress for sexual misconduct, the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) has launched a new initiative to reform the predatory environment of Capitol Hill. A bipartisan effort, Democratic Women’s Caucus Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03) and Republican Women’s Caucus Chair Kat Cammack (FL-03) are taking the lead and had a joint interview on MS NOW to announce their plans.
The goals of the initiative include making Congress a safer workplace for women and all survivors, reforming reporting systems to be faster, more accessible, and easier to navigate for survivors, and pushing for stronger education and training resources to prevent misconduct before it happens. The DWC is committed to “tackling the culture of retaliation, fear, and silence that prevents survivors from coming forward.”
According to the National Women’s Defense League, at least 53 allegations of workplace sexual misconduct have been made against 30 House and Senate members over the past two decades. Unfortunately, this number is likely much higher in reality as only “a third of victims ever go public with their accounts” and this does not include allegations against members of Congress made outside of the workplace.
“Too often we have seen Congressmen take advantage of that power imbalance, use the women who work here as their prey, and we are here to say that that’s not going to happen anymore,” said Rep. Leger Fernández. “We need to make sure that accountability means something… if you engage in sexual assault of the employees on Capitol Hill, you’re going to pay a price.”
As pressure mounts for institutional accountability, the initiative marks an important step in the ongoing effort to transform Capitol Hill into a workplace where survivors are protected, heard, and empowered to come forward without fear.