After Five Years, #MeToo is Finally Seeing Action on Capitol Hill

     The NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act, or the military budget) for 2022 was far from everything people wanted. However, it was an important starting point in the fight against sexual assault and harassment in the military, making sexual harassment in the military a crime and creating an independent reporting, reviewing, and discipline process for acts of sexual harassment and assault. President Biden also signed the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, which bans forced arbitration for these claims in employment and allows women to go through the legal system to have their voices heard, perhaps the biggest win the #MeToo movement has seen. These are not the only laws combating sexual harassment set to pass: the House has passed the Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act, which would alleviate concerns for one of the bigger fields this is an issue in, and the Improving VA Accountability to Prevent Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Act, while several similar bills to prevent sexual violence and discrimination in the workplace are under consideration.

     This is an opportunity to combat sex crimes more broadly: last year, President Biden signed the VOCA Fix Act, which extended the Victims of Crime Act Fund and increased the amount of expenses victims incur that the perpetrators are required to pay from 60 percent to 75 percent. Before Congress is a major bill called the EARN IT Act, which would redefine and clamp down on child sexual abuse material online.

     While the #MeToo movement affects both men and women, it is also a good opportunity to address issues facing women around the nation. The Workplace Violence Prevention for Healthcare and Social Service Workers Act is a major piece of legislation that would prevent and punish acts of violence against workers in female-majority professions that have seen an uptick in such violence since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act would, well, reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which expired during the government shutdown of 2019. The Equal Rights Amendment, which would ban discrimination based on gender, could become the 28th amendment to the Constitution within a matter of weeks. In terms of women's health, President Biden has repealed the Mexico City Policy banning federal funding to women's health clinics around the world and is currently in the process of restoring federal funding to Planned Parenthood as well as restoring the Affordable Care Act contraceptive mandate. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act would require employers to make reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers, while the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act would require time for breastfeeding. The Maternal Vaccination Act would boost vaccinations in pregnant women and new moms; and other bills, including the Data to Save Moms Act and the Social Determinants for Moms Act would also help new and expecting mothers. Meanwhile, the American Rescue Plan Act and proposed Build Back Better Act are delivering and would deliver unprecedented funding for maternal health programs. Even women veterans are seeing results: the Women Who Worked on the Home Front World War II Memorial Act and 688 Congressional Gold Medal Act would honor female veterans, while the Womens Veterans TRUST Act would help female veterans with addictions.

     The #MeToo movement is finally seeing results on Capitol Hill while women are seeing more progress in 2022 than in the past decade.