{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://cooper.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cooper-helps-lead-effort-to-eliminate-congressional-hush-fund-for-sexual", "Cooper Helps Lead Effort to Eliminate Congressional Hush Fund for Sexual Harassment Settlements", "2017-11-29", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "TN", "Jim Cooper", "C000754", "cooper.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-05) is one of four lead cosponsors on a bipartisan bill that would empower victims of sexual harassment and eliminate the confidential \u201chush fund\u201d currently used to settle sexual harassment claims in Congress.\n\u201cNo more cover-ups,\u201d Rep. Cooper said. \u201cWe need transparency, safety and appropriate behavior. Sexual misconduct has no place here, or anywhere.\u201d\nThe Congressional Accountability and Hush Fund Elimination Act would overhaul the secret taxpayer-funded system that is currently used to settle harassment claims.\nThe bill would:\n Prohibit the use of public funds to pay settlements or awards for sexual harassment or assault claims;\n\t\t\u00a0\n\tRequire the Office of Compliance to disclose all previously made payments on its website; (the name of the victim is expressly prohibited from being disclosed);\n\t\t\u00a0\n\tRequire perpetrators to reimburse the taxpayers with interest;\n\t\t\u00a0\n\tProhibit nondisclosure agreements as a precondition to initiate procedures to address sexual harassment or assault claims; and\n\t\t\u00a0\n\tPermit victims of sexual harassment or assault to make public statements about their claim, regardless of any previously signed nondisclosure agreement.\n Joining Rep. Cooper are lead sponsor Rep. Ron DeSantis (FL-06) and fellow cosponsors Rep. Marsha Blackburn (TN-07), Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) and Rep. Kathleen Rice (NY-04).\nThe House is voting this afternoon to require members and staff to take the House\u2019s voluntary anti-harassment training course. (Rep. Cooper\u2019s individual office policy already requires him and his staff to take the course.) Earlier this week, Rep. Cooper called for stronger reforms and urged House leaders to move quickly.\nRep. Cooper will join his fellow cosponsors to discuss the bill at a press conference today at 3:00 p.m. ET on Capitol Hill in HVC Studio A, which is located in the hallway between the Capitol and Capitol Visitors Center.\nFor media based outside of Washington, the press conference will be broadcast live at Rep. Cooper\u2019s Facebook page.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://cooper.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cooper-helps-lead-effort-to-eliminate-congressional-hush-fund-for-sexual"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.939088873565197, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}