A progressive congressional staff organization is urging lawmakers to pursue incremental reforms aimed at addressing sexual misconduct on Capitol Hill, Roll Call first reported on Tuesday.
The group argues that even modest changes could improve staff safety and accountability.
In a letter sent Tuesday to House and Senate leaders overseeing congressional administration, the Congressional Progressive Staff Association (CPSA) called for a series of reforms, including establishing a Senate Office of Employee Advocacy, strengthening the independent Office of Congressional Conduct, and improving awareness of existing reporting resources.
"Staff safety is crucial," the letter states.
CPSA spokesperson Michael Suchecki said the recommendations were developed after surveying members in the months following the resignations of Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas; and Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., amid misconduct allegations.
"Almost every staffer we heard from was not aware of most of these resources" to report misconduct and hold offenders accountable, Suchecki said.
He said the group intentionally focused on practical proposals rather than sweeping institutional changes.
"We didn't want to put forward a naive, progressive wish list of how we would build this process from zero. We wanted to put together an actionable list sourced from the inside," added Suchecki.
Among the recommendations is codifying the independent Office of Congressional Conduct in law and granting it limited subpoena authority.
"Currently, the continued existence of this office is subject to biennial House rules packages, and congressional leaders have previously attempted to restrict its independence," the letter says.
Suchecki said the group's outreach highlighted confusion over where staff should report misconduct.
"We thought there were three or four different offices or bodies that we needed to talk to to get a sense of how reporting, seeking accountability works on the Hill," he said. "I called all of them, and basically they all said it's someone else's job, and I'm like, 'OK, this is a good start.'"
Even without legislative changes, he argued that making existing resources easier to navigate would represent the "bare minimum."
The CPSA is also watching a bipartisan House working group launched in May by Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M.; and Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., which aims to "identify reforms and solutions to make Congress a safer work environment for women and all survivors."
Suchecki said the group expects tangible recommendations.
He acknowledged that some of the people most affected by harassment declined to participate in the survey.
"A lot of people that have some of the most harrowing stories were turned away by engaging with the topic at all, and I think that's something where we want to do more outreach to those folks, especially to get a better sense for where they fell off, what happened," he said.
Looking ahead, the group plans to seek input from former congressional staffers who left Capitol Hill because of harassment or abuse.
"We are deliberately focused on the small things that might be achievable here because every single one of these changes could catch someone from falling through the cracks and could save someone who either doesn't know where to turn or doesn't know if they want to stay in politics," explained Suchecki.
The CPSA's recommendations come days after the House Ethics Committee reaffirmed its commitment to combating workplace misconduct following House passage of H.Res. 1399, which directs the committee and the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights to publicly identify cases involving sexual harassment or sexual abuse that resulted in taxpayer-funded payments.
"There should be zero tolerance for sexual misconduct, harassment, or discrimination in the halls of Congress, or in any employment setting," the committee said in a statement.