Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., called on Franken to step down in statements Wednesday afternoon. Both said last week that a Senate Ethics Committee investigation should be conducted; neither senator at that time pressed for Franken’s resignation.
Several women have come forward with stories that Franken groped or tried to kiss them when he worked as an entertainer prior to his career in the Senate. The most recent allegations came from a former Democratic aide who said in a story published by Politico Wednesday morning that Franken attempted to kiss her in 2006.
Senate Democrats began publicly calling for Franken’s resignation Wednesday morning. By mid-afternoon, more than half of the caucus had joined the chorus.
Leahy said in a statement that Franken’s situation “has become untenable.”
“I am concerned that even a prompt Ethics Committee investigation and recommendations will not come soon enough,” Leahy said. “He has to step aside.”
“I hope as a nation that we are beginning to come to terms with the systemic problem of sexual harassment and assault, but we still have a long way to go,” he said.
Sanders also urged Franken to step down from his position.
“The right thing is for him to resign,” he said in a statement.
Sanders said that American culture is at a “crossroads.”
“We are finally addressing the issue of sexual harassment, and we need to get it right. But the conversation we are having now is only the tip of the iceberg,” Sanders said.
Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said in an interview that he agrees with Sanders and Leahy that Franken should resign.
“The depressing reality is that we’ve seen a pattern where there’s been an initial allegation and then new allegations emerge constantly and the stories and explanations from the accused member change,” he said.
Franken was not at a Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday morning. He missed floor votes in the afternoon
Franken is expected to make an announcement Thursday, according to a post on his official Twitter account.
The pressure on Franken to resign comes as sexual harassment has been increasingly come under the spotlight in Congress, following similar allegations against leaders in the tech industry and Hollywood.
Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., announced Tuesday that he would leave his post amid a mounting number of allegations of sexual harassment. Welch and Leahy both joined senior congressional Democrats last week to call for Conyers to step down.
