Ahead of a vote this week to formally establish mandatory sexual harassment training in the House, U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-05) encouraged House leaders to go much further by unmasking the secret settlements that lawmakers have reached with people accusing them of sexual harassment.

"Training is not enough," Rep. Cooper said. "Whenever Congress spends taxpayer money, we should disclose it all. Maybe then, our 'zero tolerance' policies will actually mean something. No one is above the law."

Rep. Cooper, whose staff is already required to take an anti-harassment training course offered by the House, said heightened public awareness of sexual harassment issues should be more than enough reason for Congress to take additional steps beyond training.

These steps include naming the House and Senate lawmakers who have used a secret taxpayer-funded account to settle sexual harassment claims in Congress - retroactively and, if necessary, moving forward. But Rep. Cooper believes the current practice of secret settlements should be abolished altogether.