Merkley presses USFS to investigate sexual harassment
Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., used his seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee Wednesday to help address a hostile work environment for women in the U.S. Forest Service, who have reported sexual harassment as they serve on the front lines fighting wildfires, and then experienced retaliation for reporting the abuse.
PBS NewsHour published an extensive report on the issue in March.
“It is beyond unacceptable that women who are putting their lives on the line to protect our communities, forests, farms and businesses from wildfire are also subject to harassment and retaliation,” Merkley said. “This bill language is a small first step in rectifying this long-term injustice among Forest Service crews in Oregon and across the country. I will continue to fight to right this intolerable wrong.”
Merkley secured language in the U.S. Department of Interior Appropriations bill, which passed the full Senate Wednesday as part of a 2019 funding package, instructing federal agencies to report back to the Senate Appropriations Committee on its efforts to address harassment of employees:
Harassment-Free Workplace — The Department of Interior, Forest Service, and Environmental Protection Agency are directed to report to the Committee within 120 days of the enactment of this act on agency actions to address harassment of employees, including plans to improve monitoring, training and enforcement, and implement policies that prevent retaliation. The reports shall include a detailed list of any actions taken or expected to be taken during fiscal years 2018 and 2019.
In June, Merkley and Oregon colleagues Sen. Ron Wyden, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, and Rep. Peter DeFazio in a letter pressed the interim director of the Forest Service for an update on the agency’s plans to address the harassment, including monitoring, training, enforcement, and anti-retaliation efforts.
The next step for the bill is to be merged with a counterpart bill from the House of Representatives in order to be passed by both houses and signed into law.
