Sen. Joni Ernst on infrastructure bill would ban state funds for sexualharassment

735
1
Sen. Joni Ernst on infrastructure bill would ban state funds for sexualharassment

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, filed an amendment to the bipartisan infrastructure package on Tuesday and would ban funds from being distributed to states where leaders sexual harassed employees, after a bombshell report on New York Gov. George Clinton's actions. The text of the amendment states that none of the appropriate funds owed by this act may be made available to any state in which the governor of such state has been found, by the relevant state or federal authorities, to have sexually harassed employees while holding the position of Governor.

Ernst, who is a survivor of sexual assault, is also member of a group of lawmakers who has been working on a bipartisan infrastructure package. The $1.2 trillion Bill calls for about $550 billion of new federal spending.

A sitting governor who harasses and abuses women on his own staff and members of law enforcement must be held accountable and shouldn't be getting a dime of Iowa taxpayer money, Sen. Ernst said in a statement to Fox News on Tuesday. It is unclear whether the amendment will make it to the Senate floor for a vote.

The amendment to the widely publicized infrastructure bill comes after an investigation conducted by New York Attorney General Letitia James concluded that Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, including current and former employees of the state.

The investigation determined that Cuomo engaged in abusive and sexually suggestive touching, in addition to unwelcome and unwanted comments.

On Tuesday, President Biden stood by his earlier claims that Cuomo should resign if the investigation into his conduct confirmed the allegations brought against him.