INTRODUCTION OF THE CONGRESS LEADS BY EXAMPLE ACT OF 2026

On 2026-07-27, Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) delivered a floor speech titled "INTRODUCTION OF THE CONGRESS LEADS BY EXAMPLE ACT OF 2026" in the House.

INTRODUCTION OF THE CONGRESS LEADS BY EXAMPLE ACT OF 2026

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 122 (Monday, July 27, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 122 (Monday, July 27, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E745] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] INTRODUCTION OF THE CONGRESS LEADS BY EXAMPLE ACT OF 2026 ______ HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON of the district of columbia in the house of representatives Monday, July 27, 2026 Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Congress Leads by Example Act of 2026, which would apply many of the laws that protect employees in the private sector and the executive branch to the legislative branch. Congress should abide by the laws it imposes on others. In 1995, Congress passed the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA), which applied 13 existing civil rights, labor and workplace safety and health laws to the legislative branch. In 2018, after reports of sexual harassment in Congress and in light of the #MeToo movement, Congress passed the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act (Reform Act), which changed the name of the Office of Compliance to the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights (OCWR), revised the process to resolve workplace claims and extended CAA protections to unpaid staff, interns, and fellows. It also made Members of Congress personally liable for their own violations of workplace harassment and retaliation laws. The CAA and the Reform Act were important steps in making the legislative branch accountable for its employment practices, but they did not finish the job. As noted, the CAA brought the legislative branch under 13 existing civil rights, labor, and workplace safety and health laws, but it omitted important substantive and procedural protections. OCWR has identified additional federal workplace laws and procedures that should apply to the legislative branch. This bill considers OCWR's recommendations. This bill would provide general whistleblower protections and make additional Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) anti-retaliation provisions applicable to the legislative branch. This bill would provide subpoena authority to OCWR to conduct inspections and investigations into OSHA violations. It also would provide extended paid parental bereavement leave to legislative branch employees. This bill would further the CAA's goal of preventing workplace discrimination in the legislative branch by prohibiting the legislative branch from making adverse employment decisions based on an employee's wage garnishment or involvement in bankruptcy proceedings pursuant to the Consumer Credit Protection Act or Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code. Finally, this bill would bolster the CAA's recordkeeping requirements. It would apply to the legislative branch the obligation to maintain accurate records of safety information and employee injuries, as otherwise required by OSHA, as well as employee records necessary to administer anti-discrimination laws. This bill would help restore the public's trust in Congress by redoubling our efforts to exercise leadership by example. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. ____________________