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Article snippet: WASHINGTON — Lawmakers are facing mounting pressure to end Capitol Hill’s culture of secrecy over sexual harassment as they return from a holiday break, with members of both parties calling for Congress to overhaul its handling of misconduct claims and to unmask lawmakers who have paid settlements using taxpayer money. On Sunday, the roiling debate over sexual harassment cost one lawmaker who has paid such a settlement — Representative John Conyers Jr. of Michigan — his post as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, at least temporarily. Mr. Conyers, the longest-serving member of the House, announced that he was stepping aside as the House Ethics Committee investigates allegations that he sexually harassed aides. And on the other side of the Capitol, Senator Al Franken, the Minnesota Democrat who has been accused of groping several women, told a home state newspaper that he would return to work on Monday feeling “embarrassed and ashamed.” The announcements by Mr. Conyers and Mr. Franken came as both Democrats and Republicans took to the Sunday morning television talk shows to call for greater transparency in how harassment claims are dealt with. Under a 1995 law, complaints are handled confidentially. Lawyers for the House and the Senate have required that settlements be kept confidential as well. “All of this, as difficult as it is in some respects for our society, is really important because I think it will end up changing people’s attitudes and ch... Link to the full article to read more