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Improving Va Accountability to Prevent Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Act of 2021

Floor Speech

By: Mike Bost
By: Mike Bost
Date: May 17, 2021
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Women Employment and Affirmative Action

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Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2704, the Improving VA Accountability to Prevent Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Act of 2021.

It is a terrible reality that, according to a recent study, roughly 26 percent of female employees and 14 percent of male employees at VA have reported experiencing sexual harassment over a 2-year period.

Sadly, an even higher percentage of employees reported some type of discrimination, such as reprisal or racial discrimination.

Though these problems are large, I applaud the work of the VA Office of Resolution Management, Diversity and Inclusion and what they do. They are taking these issues on headfirst, but there is still a long way to go.

That is why I am proud to support H.R. 2704, which would eliminate the potential conflict of interest in VA's chain of command; require stricter reporting of allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination; and require VA to finalize and deploy the Harassment Prevention Program, along with increasing training and reviews.

I am grateful to Chairman Chris Pappas and Congresswoman Ashley Hinson for introducing this bill and leading it. The bill has my full support.

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