Congresswoman Barragan

For immediate release

Contact: Dave Perera
(202) 770-7899
dave.perera@mail.house.gov

42 MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE CALL FOR HEARINGS ON SEXUAL MISCONDUCT IN THE NATIONAL SECURITY WORKFORCE

The bipartisan request is led by Rep. Barragán and follows an open letter signed by over 200 women who work on U.S. national security

Washington D.C. – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán, a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, led a letter signed by a bipartisan group of 42 Members of the House of Representatives requesting joint hearings on allegations of sexual misconduct in the national security workforce. The request is in response to an open letter signed by more than 200 women from across U.S. national security sectors.

“Allegations of widespread sexual misconduct in our national security community are troubling, and the victims deserve to tell their stories,” said Rep. Barragán. “Congress and the committees of jurisdiction must take swift action to eliminate sexual harassment from our ranks. Women in the national security community are calling for strong reforms, and we owe it to them to act.”

The letter requesting hearings was signed by key Members serving on the committees on Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Homeland Security and Intelligence, including Reps. Jackie Speier, John Katko, Eric Swalwell and House Committee on Homeland Security Ranking Member Bennie Thompson.

“Congress must recognize that sexual harassment is a very real problem in our government’s national security community,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson. “These women deserve to be heard and Congress must act and put real reforms in place. Those charged with keeping our country safe and secure must be able to do their job without distraction or harassment.”

Read the full letter below:

[embeddoc url=”https://barragan.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Letter-sexual-misconduct-in-the-national-security-workforce.pdf” download=”all”]

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