Grassley presses McConnell for vote on sexual harassment bill

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to allow a vote on a bill that he says would strengthen Congress’s sexual harassment policies.

“The House of Representatives has already passed these reforms, and it is now time for the Senate to do the same. I respectfully request that my bill be brought to the Senate floor for a vote as quickly as possible,” Grassley wrote to McConnell in a letter dated March 2.

The letter was first obtained by BuzzFeed News.

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The bill Grassley wants a vote on is similar to the one the House passed last month after a number of sexual harassment allegations against congressmen were brought to light.

The bill would require members of Congress to pay the Treasury Department for any settlements that result from harassment complaints and would also overhaul the Office of Compliance, which handles sexual harassment allegations.

Grassley argued that the bill would “promote transparency by requiring the congressional Office of Compliance to publicly, regularly disclose when a congressional office pays a harassment-related award or settlement.”

Compared to how quickly it passed in the House, the bill in the Senate has moved slowly. Senators are hoping to pass something before the end of March, BuzzFeed reported.

“It is my firm belief that Congress should live by the laws it passes, and this bill is a step in the right direction,” Grassley wrote.

Last year, both the House and Senate passed a resolution mandating all members and employees of Congress attend sexual harassment training.