Of the 357 members of Congress who don’t want taxpayers to know which members have used taxpayer funds to pay sexual harassment claims, 32 are Texans, including nearly all of Texas Republican and Democratic members of Congress.
An untold number of members of Congress have spent a combined roughly $17 million of taxpayer money to settle sexual harassment claims made against them, according to U.S. House records.
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-SC, filed a resolution directing the U.S. House Committee on Ethics to “preserve and publicly release all records related to investigations into Members of Congress for sexual harassment, unwelcome sexual advances, and sexual assault under House rules.” The requirement would keep victim information confidential.
The overwhelming majority of Congress, 357 Republicans and Democrats, voted to refer the resolution to committee knowing doing so likely would kill it, Mace and others argued, The Center Square reported.
One member voted present and nine didn’t vote, according to the roll call vote.
Of Texas’ 38 members of Congress, only three voted to require the House Ethics Committee to disclose which members have settled sexual harassment claims and how much taxpayer money was used.
Only one Democrat, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar of El Paso, and only two Republicans, U.S. Reps. Brandon Gill and Chip Roy, voted to disclose the information.
U.S. Reps. Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston, Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, didn’t vote.
Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales voted against disclosing the information prior to being forced to resign after he admitted to having an affair with his staffer who later killed herself, The Center Square reported. A House Ethics Committee investigation is ongoing.
Nearly all Republicans voted against disclosing information about members who settled sexual harassment claims.
They include U.S. Reps. Jodey Arrington, Brian Babin, John Carter, Michael Cloud, Monica De La Cruz, Jake Ellzey, Pat Fallon, Craig Goldman, Tony Gonzales, Lance Gooden, Wesley Hunt, Ronny Jackson, Morgan Luttrell, Michael McCaul, Nathaniel Moran, Troy Nehls, August Pfluger, Keith Self, Pete Sessions, Beth Van Duyne, Randy Weber and Roger Williams.
U.S. Reps. Babin, Carter, Cloud, De La Cruz, Ellzey, Fallon, Goldman, Gooden, Jackson, Moran, Pfluger, Self, Sessions, Van Duyne, Weber and Williams are running for reelection.
Nearly all Texas Democrats voted to prevent disclosing the information.
They include U.S. Reps. Greg Casar, Joaquin Castro, Jasmine Crockett, Henry Cuellar, Lloyd Doggett, Lizzie Fletcher, Al Green, Julie Johnson, Christian Menefee and Marc Veasey.
All but Crockett, Doggett and Veasey are running for reelection.
After the 357 members voted to keep congressional sexual harassment records buried, Mace said, “Both parties colluded to protect predators. They voted to keep sexual harassment records buried, and they did it together.
“Every Member who voted against this resolution voted to protect the cover-up instead of the victims.”
She warned the American people: “This is the establishment in action, always protecting itself, never the victims. Ask yourself why. Remember their names when they ask for your vote.”
The vote came after Green has denied sexual harassment claims and at least two former Republican congressmen were involved in sexual misconduct: Joe Barton of Fort Worth and Blake Farenthold of Corpus Christi.
Barton described himself as “a constant defender of conservative ideals and values” but didn’t resign after his sex scandal. He only dropped his reelection bid after nude photos he took of himself along with sexually explicit texts were leaked. He acknowledged he sent them to women with whom he was having extramarital affairs.
Farenthold, who also claimed to be a conservative, was forced to resign after it was reported that he used taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit and created a hostile work environment for female employees.
It remains unclear how many members of Texas’ current congressional delegation settled sexual harassment claims – and nearly all of them don’t want taxpayers or voters to know who they are.