Rep. Carbajal says Congress needs ‘a zero-tolerance policy’ on sexual harassment

Congressman Salud Carbajal said there is no room for sexual harassment in Congress in response to California Rep. Jackie Speier’s statement at a recent hearing claiming that two current lawmakers have engaged in sexual harassment.

“That needs to end immediately, and we need to have a zero-tolerance policy,” Carbajal told The Tribune.

Carbajal, a Democrat who represents California’s 24th congressional district that includes San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, added that he signed on to Speier’s bill to mandate sexual harassment training for all members of Congress. Speier went public Tuesday with an account of being sexually assaulted by a male chief of staff when she was a congressional staffer.

Carbajal said he recently completed sexual harassment training, and he’s requiring it of all of his staff.

“I’m very proud to have achieved it and completed it,” he said.

Speier’s bill comes as many in Congress struggle with how to address allegations of sexual assault; the U.S. Senate race in Alabama was rocked by allegations that Republican candidate Roy Moore sexually abused two teen girls and made inappropriate sexual and romantic overtures toward three more when he was in his 30s. Moore has denied the allegations, but many members of Congress — including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell — have called on Moore to leave the race.

This story was originally published November 14, 2017 at 2:13 PM with the headline "Rep. Carbajal says Congress needs ‘a zero-tolerance policy’ on sexual harassment."