The Culture

House launches bipartisan push to combat sexual misconduct in Congress

By Anna Liss-Roy The Washington Post

Published May 14, 2026

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) announced a new effort on Wednesday to combat sexual misconduct on Capitol Hill following several high-profile cases.

Two groups, representing Democratic and Republican female lawmakers, will work together to "identify reforms and solutions to make Congress a safer work environment for women and all survivors," the leaders said in a statement.

The announcement follows recent resignations by two members accused of misconduct and new information about ongoing investigations into at least two more. The cases have triggered heightened pressure on the House to tighten its rules.

Johnson and Jeffries met with leaders of the Republican Women's Caucus and Democratic Women's Caucus, respectively, in recent weeks, discussing ideas for potential reforms.

"As a father who has two daughters working on Capitol Hill - this is as personal to me as it is to anyone," Johnson said in a statement, adding that he is happy about "a bipartisan partnership to find ways we can continue to make Capitol Hill safer for women and all staff."

The effort to end sexual violence and harassment in Congress has the "complete and unequivocal support of the House Democratic Caucus," Jeffries said, including support for an "ironclad policy" to create a safe atmosphere for staff.

The task force and partnership was first reported by NOTUS and CBS.

Reps. Kat Cammack (R-Florida) and Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-New Mexico), who chair the two caucuses of women lawmakers, will lead the bipartisan effort. Cammack and Leger Fernandez will work with leaders of the House Administration Committee on any proposed reforms, the statement said.

Coming forward is "extraordinarily difficult," Cammack said, pointing to fear of retaliation and other pressures that can deter victims, which she believes Congress must address.

Leger Fernandez cited potential changes, including speeding up the process for reporting sexual assault and increasing education and training resources. Both are measures she has previously advocated for since the resignations of Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-California) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas).

The resignations of the two men last month over allegations of misconduct involving congressional aides prompted a renewed focus on the prevalence of sexual misconduct on Capitol Hill and how to combat it. Leger Fernandez, who led the bipartisan push to oust Swalwell and Gonzales, began meeting with her caucus, calling for the House Ethics Committee to speed up its investigations of harassment - and pushing for a meeting with Jeffries.

Swalwell faces allegations of sexual assault of a former staffer, among other misconduct, which he has denied. Gonzales acknowledged an affair with a staffer who later set herself on fire and died. House rules prohibit sexual relationships between lawmakers and staff members.

One week after the resignations of Swalwell and Gonzales, the House Ethics Committee publicly requested information from victims of sexual misconduct by members of Congress.

The committee, tasked with policing lawmakers, emphasized its dedication to cracking down on sexual misconduct and making those findings public. It ticked through its record of investigating cases during the past 50 years, including opening 20 sexual misconduct investigations since 2017.

At a news conference on April 21, Johnson said he was open to additional rules to help victims of sexual misconduct on Capitol Hill come forward. "We are looking at every potential avenue to tighten up the rules and make sure that women have an avenue to report," Johnson said.

The next week, Jeffries met with members of the Democratic Women's Caucus to discuss possible reforms to address sexual misconduct on the Hill, according to people familiar with the meeting. Johnson recently met with the Republican Women's Caucus for a similar conversation, according to his office.

Days later, reports surfaced that another congressman was under investigation: Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-North Carolina). A person familiar with the investigation confirmed that staff members have reached out to at least two former Edwards staffers who said they felt uncomfortable with the way the congressman interacted with them.

Among the actions being scrutinized are Edwards's remarks, his purchase of gifts and his hiring decisions, said the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share information the panel has not made public.

A spokesman for Edwards's campaign has acknowledged the congressman is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee and said he welcomes a chance to dispute the allegations.

On Monday, the House Ethics Committee provided an update on its ongoing investigation into Rep. Cory Mills (R-Florida), who faces allegations the panel's leaders called "serious and complex," including possible domestic violence, which he has strongly denied.

The committee is examining whether Mills violated the House code of conduct or any laws or other rules while serving in Congress, the lawmakers said. The panel first announced a wide-ranging investigation into Mills in November.

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