House plots sexual harassment reforms in January after wave of new accusations

House Republicans plan to move swiftly to deal with a cascade of sexual harassment claims that have gripped Congress, beginning in January with a bill that would undo the law shielding the identities of accused lawmakers and end taxpayer-funded payouts.

House Administration Committee Chairman Gregg Harper, R-Miss., told the Washington Examiner he intends to move legislation through the panel by late January that would reform the 1995 Congressional Accountability Act, which governs the way the Legislative Branch handles workplace claims, including sexual harassment.

The current law shields the identities of those accused of workplace violations including sexual harassment, and it permits the federal government to cover the cost of claims. Harper said the panel has been hard at work “tearing apart” the law to find ways to improve transparency and responsiveness to those making claims.

“My goal is that we would have all this resolved and have a markup at the end of January,” Harper told the Washington Examiner.

The Capitol has been roiled by sexual harassment claims that have ended or damaged the careers of a string of lawmakers.