[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 68 (Tuesday, April 20, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E426-E427]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     INTRODUCTION OF THE COMBATING SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN SCIENCE ACT

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                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 20, 2021

  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, today I am pleased to be joined 
by Ranking Member Lucas in introducing the Combating Sexual Harassment 
in Science Act. In the wake of the #MeToo movement, the nation is still 
reckoning with the pervasiveness of sexual harassment and its impact on 
the lives and careers of women, including in academia.
  The academic workplace, when compared to the military, private 
sector, and government, has the second-highest rate of sexual 
harassment, with 58 percent of women in academia experiencing sexual 
harassment. This behavior undermines career advancement for

[[Page E427]]

women in critical STEM fields. Many women report leaving promising 
careers in academic research altogether due to sexual harassment. Women 
of color are even more likely to experience sexual harassment and to 
feel unsafe at work. We cannot afford--morally, scientifically, or 
economically--to continue to lose these skilled scientists and 
engineers, particularly from groups that are already underrepresented 
in STEM.
  As recommended in the landmark report by the National Academies 
entitled Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences 
in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, this bill establishes 
a National Science Foundation program to support research into the 
factors contributing to sexual harassment in the scientific workforce, 
as well as the collection of data on the prevalence of sexual 
harassment in STEM. Furthermore, this bill directs the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy to issue uniform policy guidelines to 
Federal science agencies to ensure every agency has clear policies and 
dedicated resources to prevent and respond to incidents of sexual 
harassment at academic institutions receiving federal research funding. 
It also creates an interagency working group to improve coordination 
and communication among agencies.
  It is my hope that this legislation will build upon progress already 
made by the National Science Foundation and other agencies over the 
last few years. In 2018, the Foundation updated its award terms and 
conditions to ensure the agency is alerted of findings of sexual 
harassment or administrative actions taken against NSF-funded 
researchers during the course of an investigation. It is vital that 
agencies and grantees, as stewards of Federal money, take seriously 
their responsibility to foster a healthy working environment as they 
train the next generation of scientists. It is encouraging that other 
agency heads have taken steps to address sexual harassment in research. 
Following NSF's lead, the National Institutes of Health instituted a 
similar update to its grant rules. The approach must be coordinated to 
minimize confusion and burden for institutions and researchers.
  I also credit Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier, former OSTP Director, for his 
commitment to this issue. In his testimony to the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology last year, Dr. Droegemeier reported that the 
Joint Committee on Research Environments (JCORE) Subcommittee on Safe 
and Inclusive Environments was compiling a comprehensive inventory of 
Federal agency policies and practices targeted at addressing all forms 
of harassment in the research environment, with the intent to identify 
best practices and develop a coordinated Federal action plan. I urge 
the current administration to make this a priority. These resources are 
urgently needed.
  Scientific societies, universities, national laboratories, and those 
in leadership positions across the scientific enterprise also play an 
important role in combating sexual harassment in the sciences. I am 
pleased that my legislation is endorsed by 23 scientific societies and 
student organizations. In developing this bill, feedback from 
university associations and scientific societies has been invaluable, 
and it is encouraging that so many key players are committed to 
addressing sexual harassment in science.
  This legislation supports a coordinated evidence-based approach to 
addressing the problem of sexual harassment at research universities 
and funds research that will serve as the foundation for future 
initiatives in this area.
  I urge the rest of my colleagues to join us and help move this 
legislation forward into law.

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