May 10, 2019

Anita Hill: Sexual violence is a national crisis

Photo: George Frey/Getty Images

After a recent conversation between former Vice President Joe Biden and Anita Hill, she outlined a series of steps to help end sexual violence and berated the government for its handling of the misconduct in an opinion piece for the New York Times.

"If the Senate Judiciary Committee, led then by Mr. Biden, had done its job and held a hearing that showed that its members understood the seriousness of sexual harassment and other forms of sexual violence, the cultural shift we saw in 2017 after #MeToo might have began in 1991 — with the support of the government."

— Anita Hill wrote a New York Times op-ed

What she's saying: Hill referenced Christine Blasey Ford's late-2018 accusation against Supreme Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh, saying that: "yet again, the process appeared to be concerned with political expediency more than with the truth."

She also wrote: "Sexual violence is a national crisis that requires a national solution," suggesting that Congress should work on more bills like the Be Heard Act, which would federally protect contract, gig and other nontraditional workers from sexual harassment. Hill also focused on sexual harassment within the military saying representatives should be keeping military personnel safe from sexual harassment.

Go deeper: Biden says he regrets not giving Anita Hill "the hearing she deserved"

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Coronavirus dashboard

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Global: Total confirmed cases as of 12:30 a.m. ET: 859,556 — Total deaths: 42,332 — Total recoveries: 178,300.
U.S.: Leads the world in confirmed cases. Total confirmed cases as of 12:30 a.m. ET: 189,510 — Total deaths: 4,076 — Total recoveries: 7,109.
Business updates: Should you pay your rent or mortgage during the coronavirus pandemic? Find out if you are protected under the CARES Act.
Public health updates: More than 400 long-term care facilities across the U.S. report patients with coronavirus — Older adults and people with underlying health conditions are more at risk, new data shows.
Federal government latest: President Trump said the next two weeks would be "very painful," with projections indicating the virus could kill 100,000–240,000 Americans.
Coronavirus in custody: Inmates in all U.S. federal prisons are set to enter a 14-day quarantine on April 1. A federal judge on Tuesday ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to release 10 detained immigrants who are at risk of contracting COVID-19 while in confinement.
U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt: Captain of nuclear aircraft carrier docked in Guam pleaded with the U.S. Navy for more resources after more than 100 members of his crew tested positive.
What should I do? Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — Q&A: Minimizing your coronavirus risk.
Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it.

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