In spring 2026, Congress was rocked by sexual misconduct allegations that led to the resignations of two sitting members of Congress:
Reps. Tony Gonzalez and Eric Swalwell―one republican and one democrat resigned amid misconduct allegations.
And now, Senate campaigns from Ken Paxton and Graham Platner have been rocked by sexual misconduct scandals on the parts of the candidates.
These high-profile cases exposed what congressional staffers have known for years: the system is broken. The Congressional Progressive Staff Association (CPSA)—representing over 1,500 House and Senate employees—surveyed its members in the aftermath and found a disturbing pattern of staff being turned away, confused about where to turn, or unable to afford legal representation when seeking accountability.
Take Action: Tell your Senators to protect their staff from sexual misconduct in the workplace!
Here’s the critical disparity:
In 2018, staff for the House of Representatives established the Office of Employee Advocacy, which provides free, independent legal counsel for harassment and misconduct claims. This provides a critical counterbalance to the Office of House Employment Counsel (OHEC), which defends employing offices facing complaints.
But in the Senate, while the Office of Senate Chief Counsel for Employment (SCCE) represents offices, there is no parallel office representing staff.
This leaves Senate employees, especially junior staff who cannot afford private attorneys, at a significant disadvantage when seeking accountability for harassment, assault, or workplace misconduct.
The Senate Rules Committee must EITHER:
- Work with House colleagues to make the Office of Employee Advocacy bicameral to serve both chambers, OR
- Immediately establish a separate Senate Office of Employee Advocacy to fill this critical void.
Congress cannot claim to be a workplace for all Americans while leaving its own staff vulnerable to abuse without recourse. The House created the Office of Employee Advocacy in 2018. The Senate has no excuse to wait any longer.
When your boss is a high-profile individual like a member of Congress, there will never be equal power. But it doesn’t have to be so lopsided.
It’s past time to give these public servants the support they need. Take action today!
In solidarity,
The Labor Force