MASSIEFLIX

Massie: Transparency Is Essential to the Operation of Government

Jun 30, 2026 · 8:54 transparencycongressfloor-speechethics

Floor remarks: open government is how Congress is supposed to work — companion piece to his House slush-fund resolution.

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  1. The house will be in order. For what purpose does the gentleman from Kentucky seek recognition? >> Mr. Speaker, I rise to a question of the privileges of the house and offer the
  2. resolution that was previously noted. >> The clerk will report the resolution. >> House Resolution 1399. Whereas transparency is essential for
  3. accountability in government, whereas sexual harassment and unwelcome sexual advances by members, delegates, or resident commissioners in violation of
  4. clause nine and clause 18 of rule 23 of the rules of the house affect the safety, dignity, and integrity of the
  5. proceedings of the House of Representatives. Now, therefore, be it resolved one, that with respect to reviews, investigations, or matters
  6. which the Committee on Ethics or the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights have reviewed, conducted, or facilitated, the Committee on Ethics and
  7. the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights shall not later than 60 days after the adoption of this resolution make publicly available A, a single
  8. consolidated list that sets forth forth separately for each member, delegate, or resident commissioner I, the name of each member, delegate, or resident
  9. commissioner who was a subject of any review or investigation involving a violation of clause nine of rule 23 of the rules of the House of
  10. Representatives as it pertains to acts of sexual harassment or clause 18 of rule 23 of the rules of the House of
  11. Representatives or any case involving sexual harassment or sexual abuse if it resulted in a payment of taxpayer funds
  12. and double I, adjacent to each such name, the total amount of taxpayer funds included in all settlements, payments, reimbursements,
  13. awards, or other financial considerations paid in connection with such matters. B, the aggregate total amount of taxpayer funds included in all
  14. settlements, payments, reimbursements, awards, or other financial considerations paid in connection with such reviews, investigations, or matters
  15. involving members, delegates, or resident commissioners that did not in any portion of the settlement involve sexual harassment, sexual abuse, or
  16. sexual misconduct. C. The aggregate total amount of taxpayer funds included in all settlements, payments, reimbursements,
  17. awards, or other financial considerations paid in connection with such reviews, investigations, or matters involving in part or full sexual
  18. harassment, sexual abuse, or sexual misconduct by employees of the House of Representatives. And D.
  19. The aggregate total amount of taxpayer funds included in all settlements, payments, reimbursements, awards, or other financial considerations paid in
  20. connection with such reviews, investigations, or matters involving conduct by employees of the House of Representatives that did not in any
  21. portion of the settlement involve sexual harassment, sexual abuse, or sexual misconduct. That two. That for purp- purposes of
  22. this resolution, any such settlement, payment, reimbursement, award, or other financial considerations shall be treated as involving sexual harassment,
  23. sexual abuse, or sexual misconduct if sexual harassment, sexual abuse, or sexual misconduct was any component of
  24. the matter, regardless of whether the matter also involved, was classified as, or was resolved under another claim, violation, or category.
  25. >> The resolution qualifies. Pursuant to clause two of rule nine, the gentleman from gentleman from Kentucky, Mr. Massie, will control 30 minutes. The
  26. chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky. >> Mr. Speaker, thank you very much. Um in a representative democracy as we
  27. have here, a republic if you will, transparency is essential to the operation of government. Particularly transparency in the official behavior of
  28. the members of this body as well as the officers and employees of this body. In 1995,
  29. due to the Congressional Accountability Act, which by the way was a good bill, we always say that Congress should be subject to the same laws as the rest of
  30. the country. Well, that's what the 1995 Congressional Accountability Act was about, saying that you can't uh, discriminate or harass our employees
  31. just because you're a member of Congress or an office of the House of Representatives. And so, um, in that sense it was good, but it also set up a
  32. fund from which payments could be made to settle claims. Presumably this is in the best interests of the victims of those claims. But, this program went on
  33. for many years with a lot of opaqueness. And there wasn't much clarity in terms of what kind of claims were being paid out. Were they being paid out uh, to
  34. settle claims against staff? Were they being paid out to settle claims against members? And so, occasionally there would be reports from the offices that
  35. were responsible for administering the law, but there just wasn't enough information in there. And that's part of
  36. what my privilege resolution here today is about, getting more transparency into what happened in the first 20 years of
  37. this program. But, in 2018, Congress sought to revise the transparency of this program and also to impose more
  38. accountability. But, I have a concern that there's the 2018 bill may not have been carefully drafted and may have left
  39. some loopholes um, that are now open because even though we get an annual report now that has reports reports which offices in the
  40. house have paid out settlements and whether those settlements impose a requirement on the member in that office to pay back that taxpayer money. What I
  41. have discovered is that there have been no reports that have reported that any member of Congress has settled a claim
  42. against a staffer for which the member of Congress is responsible for paying back that claim. So when I dig into the
  43. results and also the language of the 2018 amendment to the Congressional Accountability Act, I see that covered
  44. payments refer to chapter A of title two, but when you look at the code 2 USC 1415, harassment is qualified to two
  45. other sections of code referring to race, gender, age, discrimination against veterans for instance, it's
  46. unclear to me if it covers physical or sexual harassment or other forms of sexual misconduct that may be settled
  47. through ethics investigations and then through the office of congressional congressional workplace rights. So I believe it is necessary to have this
  48. report that my resolution requests. I believe it's important to the House of Representatives to have transparency so
  49. that people know there wasn't a mistake in the 2018 law or maybe there was an intentional omission in the 2018 law
  50. where several claims could escape the new requirement in 2018 that congressmen pay back the certain settlements
  51. and that these certain settlements be reported. So with that, this shouldn't require a long debate. It shouldn't require a lot of explanation
  52. for a resolution that's only two pages. I would urge my colleagues to vote for this in the interest of transparency and
  53. openness. We need to know what's been going on here in the House of Representatives in order to convince the people and assure the people that we are conducting the
  54. people's business with the utmost integrity and treating the officers and employees of this institution with the respect that they deserve. And with
  55. that, I urge adoption of this resolution and I yield back. >> Without objection, the previous question is ordered on the resolution. The
  56. question is on adoption of the resolution. Those in favor say I. Those opposed say no. The eyes have it. The gentleman from Kentucky.
  57. >> I request the yeas and nays. >> The yeas and nays are requested. Those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. A sufficient number have risen. The yeas and nays are ordered.
  58. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. Pursuant to clause 12A of rule 1, the
  59. chair declares the House in recess subject to call the call of the chair.

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