Sarah Elfreth, MD
“I want this bill to pass. It expands government control. It covers more people. It gives the agency more power to investigate. I want more government. I want more rules. Many federal workers are in my district. I want to support them.”
“I want the House to pass this bill. It protects people working for NOAA from sexual assault and harassment, including contractors and observers on ships. It makes reporting easier and gives the agency more power to investigate.”
“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2406, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act of 2025. This bill would strengthen NOAA's efforts to prevent and respond to sexual harassment and sexual assault by expanding protections, improving reporting systems, and increasing critical accountability. This legislation would help create a safer and more productive workforce for the dedicated public servants who serve the American people through their work at NOAA. Building upon existing efforts to combat sexual harassment by expanding and strengthening key safeguards, this bill would extend policy protections to personnel who work for NOAA but are not directly employed by the agency--critically, these are contractors and fishery observers--ensuring that all members of the NOAA workforce are covered by this policy. The legislation would also improve reporting options for victims and broaden NOAA's enforcement authority, ensuring the agency has comprehensive jurisdiction to investigate and address sexual harassment and assault. Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege of representing over 45,000 Federal employees, many of whom work for NOAA. I commend the sponsor of this bill for her leadership in helping to close loopholes and tackling this issue to protect Federal employees and Federal contractors, who often serve in some of the Nation's most remote environments, including on fishing vessels and scientific research cruises. Enacting H.R. 2406 would help foster a safer, more equitable workplace that promotes accountability and ensures every individual has the opportunity to thrive. In doing so, we would strengthen NOAA and reinforce our commitment to the Federal workforce that upholds the highest standards of professionalism and excellence while serving the American people. I thank the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) for her leadership on this critical issue. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2406, and I reserve the balance of my time.”
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2406, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Improvements Act of 2025. This bill would strengthen NOAA's efforts to prevent and respond to sexual harassment and sexual assault by expanding protections, improving reporting systems, and increasing critical accountability. This legislation would help create a safer and more productive workforce for the dedicated public servants who serve the American people through their work at NOAA. Building upon existing efforts to combat sexual harassment by expanding and strengthening key safeguards, this bill would extend policy protections to personnel who work for NOAA but are not directly employed by the agency--critically, these are contractors and fishery observers--ensuring that all members of the NOAA workforce are covered by this policy. The legislation would also improve reporting options for victims and broaden NOAA's enforcement authority, ensuring the agency has comprehensive jurisdiction to investigate and address sexual harassment and assault. Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege of representing over 45,000 Federal employees, many of whom work for NOAA. I commend the sponsor of this bill for her leadership in helping to close loopholes and tackling this issue to protect Federal employees and Federal contractors, who often serve in some of the Nation's most remote environments, including on fishing vessels and scientific research cruises. Enacting H.R. 2406 would help foster a safer, more equitable workplace that promotes accountability and ensures every individual has the opportunity to thrive. In doing so, we would strengthen NOAA and reinforce our commitment to the Federal workforce that upholds the highest standards of professionalism and excellence while serving the American people. I thank the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) for her leadership on this critical issue. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2406, and I reserve the balance of my time.
