Rep. Nancy Mace Introduces Bill to Make Abusers Pay for Suing Survivors Into Silence

October 12, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON, D.C., (Oct. 12, 2026) – Today, Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R-SC) introduced the Speak Your Truth Act, legislation to protect survivors from perpetrators who use defamation lawsuits to silence them. Under the bill, a survivor who prevails in a defamation or libel case brought against them in federal court would be entitled to reasonable attorney’s fees and costs, paid by the plaintiff. The protection covers factual statements, made without malice, about sexual assault, sexual harassment, or discrimination the speaker personally experienced. This includes workplace harassment and discrimination, retaliation for reporting or opposing it, and harassment or discrimination by the owner of a housing authority accommodation. It applies to cases filed in or removed to federal court. “Survivors should never have to choose between their voice and their bank account,” said Congresswoman Mace. “If you are a survivor telling the truth about what happened to you, the last thing you should fear is being bankrupted by the person who hurt you for telling it. Too often, abusers use the courts as a weapon. They file the lawsuit, run up the legal bills, and wait for survivors to go away. The Speak Your Truth Act changes the math. Sue a survivor for telling the truth and lose, and you pay. The truth is not defamation.” Defending a defamation suit can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Many survivors stay silent rather than risk it. The Speak Your Truth Act puts the cost of a failed suit where it belongs: on the person who filed it. Professor Victoria Burke, Esq., of Southwestern Law School, an attorney and advocate who has worked to end the use of retaliatory defamation lawsuits to silence survivors, provided the following statement in support of the bill: "As the architect of the Speak Your Truth Act nationwide movement, I have witnessed firsthand how protecting survivors transcends political divisions. Already enacted in five states with bipartisan support, this legislation reflects a simple principle: survivors deserve to be heard, not silenced. I am especially grateful to Congresswoman Nancy Mace for bringing this legislation to Congress. A survivor herself, she understands the threat of retaliatory defamation lawsuits firsthand. After courageously speaking out about her own experience, she faced a defamation lawsuit. Her experience underscores precisely why these protections are so urgently needed,” said Burke. Burke also pointed to the Epstein files vote as evidence of why survivors need these protections. “We saw Democrats and Republicans unite in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote to release the Epstein files. Yet even on Capitol Hill, brave Epstein survivors feared naming their alleged abusers because of the threat of retaliatory defamation lawsuits. No survivor should fear being sued into silence for speaking about sexual abuse. The Speak Your Truth Act seeks to change that by protecting survivors who speak out in good faith from weaponized defamation lawsuits. Every survivor deserves the freedom to speak their truth,” added Burke. SEE BILL TEXT BELOW: Image Image Image ### Issues : Women & Victim's Rights