Washington, D.C. (December 1, 2017) Congressman Steve Pearce released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution making sexual harassment training mandatory to all Members, officers, and employees of the House of Representatives:

"Too many people in powerful positions believe they can act above the law. This should never be the case. The workplace should be a comfortable environment, free from harassment of any kind. Victims and whistleblowers must be protected from retaliation and under no circumstance should a Member of Congress be allowed to cover up settlements or hide their guilt. No taxpayer funds should be used to fund these settlements and previous perpetrators should be required to pay back the taxpayers with interest."

On November 29, 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a House Resolution, with Rep. Pearce as a cosponsor, that requires all Members, officers, and employees of the U.S. House of Representatives to complete training on workplace rights and responsibilities each session of each Congress.

Rep. Pearce is an original cosponsor of the Congressional Accountability and Hush Fund Elimination Act to prohibit the use of public funds for sexual harassment or sexual assault settlements.

Rep. Pearce is also an original cosponsor of the Settlement Tax Deductions are Over for Predators Act (STOP Act). Currently, companies can deduct legal settlements, fines, fees, and expenses related to sexual assault and sexual harassment as a business expense. This action means American taxpayers are subsidizing the cost of settling these issues of sexual misconduct. This bill will put an end to this by prohibiting the deductibility of legal settlements related to sexual assault and sexual harassment as business expenses.