House task force reviewing Congress’s sexual harassment rules plans recommendations after Election Day

By Nora Pembrook

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan House working group reviewing how Congress handles sexual harassment complaints plans to recommend changes after the Nov. 3 elections, with the goal of acting before the end of the year, its Republican co-leader said.

Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M., lead the group, which congressional leaders set up this year after a rise in House Ethics Committee investigations related to sexual misconduct, The Associated Press reported. Cammack described the current system bluntly. “It’s a disaster,” she told the AP. “The entire system on Capitol Hill is really designed to create a chilling effect for victims.”

Cammack said she approached Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., about the effort and that Johnson told her he had been planning to ask her to take it up. Leger Fernández said the Democratic Women’s Caucus and the Republican Women’s Caucus had both called for structural changes.

What the group has heard

The working group began with listening sessions with lawmakers and staff, and consulted people in the military, corporate America and victims’ advocacy groups on best practices, according to the AP. Cammack and Leger Fernández held a meeting with staff in July.

Cammack, a former congressional aide, said former staffers “came out of the woodwork” to share their experiences after the task force began its work this spring. She said many had stayed silent because coming forward was widely understood to end a career on Capitol Hill.

The group found that victims are often unclear about where to seek help, do not trust that there will be consequences for perpetrators, and can be hindered by reporting rules such as a 180-day deadline for filing a claim, the AP reported.

Proposals under consideration

Several changes are under discussion, according to the co-chairs. One would expand the House rule that bars lawmakers from sexual relationships with their own staff or committee staff so that it covers all congressional staff.

“If you are looking to advance your love life on Capitol Hill, you’re there for the wrong reason, in my opinion,” Cammack said.

The group also wants a single point of contact for staff. “I call it a 911 for sexual harassment line that you can make one call and find out what all the alternative options might be for somebody,” Leger Fernández said.

Another change could give alleged victims more time to file complaints. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission generally applies a 180-day filing window that can be extended to 300 days where a state or local anti-discrimination law applies. Extending the deadline for congressional employees would require amending the Congressional Accountability Act, which would also need Senate approval.

The group is also looking to increase accountability for lawmakers and senior staff who engage in harassment.

Earlier reforms

Congress last overhauled its process in 2018, when it passed legislation requiring lawmakers to reimburse the Treasury for harassment-related awards and settlements and giving staff access to a dedicated advocate to guide them through filing a claim with the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights, the AP reported.

This year, three lawmakers resigned rather than face possible expulsion votes, two of them in cases involving alleged sexual misconduct, and another member was censured over his conduct toward two aides, according to the AP. Other Ethics Committee investigations are ongoing.

“The fact that we’re still trying to insist that it is not OK to sexually abuse or harass women in 2026 is outrageous,” Leger Fernández said.

The Inquisitor is seeking comment from the offices of Cammack and Leger Fernández, the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the R Street Institute on the timeline and details of the recommendations.