{"id":11037,"date":"2021-05-27T17:26:44","date_gmt":"2021-05-27T17:26:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/05\/27\/congress-implores-state-department-leadership-to-tackle-sexual-harassment\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T04:33:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T04:33:49","slug":"congress-implores-state-department-leadership-to-tackle-sexual-harassment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/congress\/2021\/05\/27\/congress-implores-state-department-leadership-to-tackle-sexual-harassment\/","title":{"rendered":"Congress implores State Department leadership to tackle sexual harassment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Efforts in the previous Congress to pass legislation mandating sexual assault and harassment reforms at the Department of State stalled in committee, so representatives have now turned to new State Department leadership to enact reforms at the agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reps. Jackie Spier, D-Calif., Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, and 35 other members of the House sent a letter<\/a> to Secretary of State Antony Blinken May 25, calling on the new agency head to enact executive reforms that mirror many of the provisions in their original legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe write to voice concerns about long-standing issues of sexual harassment and assault at the department and to urge you to use executive authority to advance many of the provisions in H.R. 8465, the State Harassment and Assault Prevention and Eradication (SHAPE) Act, introduced in the previous Congress,\u201d the representatives wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor years, civil service and foreign service officers have spoken out about misconduct, including sexual harassment and assault, and a lack of accountability for such misconduct at the department.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t