Sheila Jackson Lee: “As a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5139, the ``Stop Sexual Assault…”

“As a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5139, the ``Stop Sexual Assault and Harassment in Transportation Act,'' which establishes formal sexual assault and harassment policies for the transportation industry. I would like to thank Congressman DeFazio for his leadership on this vital piece of legislation. While the United States prides itself for being an innovator and leader in transportation, we are severely lacking in our protections of personnel and travelers from sexual assault and harassment. There have been too many accounts of women and children being sexually assaulted on airplanes and groped on crowded trains, as well as flight attendants being sexually harassed daily in their workplaces. According to a survey of students at San Jose State University conducted by Metro Magazine, almost two-thirds (63 percent) of respondents had experienced some form of harassment while using transit. Verbal harassment was the most common form of harassment, with 41 percent experiencing ``obscene/harassing language'' and 26 percent being subjected to sexual comments. Among non-verbal types of harassment, 22 percent had been stalked and 18 percent had been victims of indecent exposure. With respect to physical harassment, 11 percent of students had experienced groping or inappropriate touching.…”