The recent wave of House resignations—including former Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.)—has ignited a bipartisan push to overhaul the chamber's ethics process, as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle express frustration with the slow pace of investigations and the lack of protections for victims of misconduct.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters this week that his office is exploring every possible avenue to tighten the rules, particularly to ensure women have a clear path to report sexual misconduct. “We have to protect women and anyone who feels like there's any inappropriate behavior whatsoever,” Johnson said. “I suspect you get bipartisan, almost unanimous, support to do that.”
Democratic leaders are signaling readiness to join the effort. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said he intends to work with the Ethics Committee and other “thought leaders” to create a system that treats victims and staffers with “the dignity and respect that they deserve.” Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), chair of the House Democratic Caucus, called for an expedited process for handling allegations. The Democratic Women’s Caucus, led by Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), is taking point, with Leger Fernández arguing that the current system fails unknown numbers of abuse victims. “We needed to protect the women staffers here,” she said. “They needed to see that powerful men would be punished for sexually abusing women.”
Republicans share similar grievances. Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) spent months pushing to expel Cherfilus-McCormick over campaign finance allegations and a federal indictment for allegedly stealing $5 million from FEMA—charges she denies. Her resignation preempted a floor vote on Steube’s resolution, but he blasted the Ethics Committee for taking two years to handle the case. “Two years is way too long,” Steube said. “She clearly milked this for as long as humanly possible.”
Ethics Committee leaders defend their record, arguing that complex cases demand time. Chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) noted that the Cherfilus-McCormick probe involved a “complex, financial crime” requiring extensive document gathering, and that the lawmaker changed attorneys three times, adding delays. Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.), another panel member, agreed reforms are needed—such as faster subpoena enforcement—but cautioned that due process is essential. “The ultimate challenge is a lot of due process,” Ivey said. “There's no place you go where these are resolved fast, unless it's, like, El Salvador or something.”
The push for reform now extends to a fourth lawmaker under scrutiny: Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.), who faces allegations of campaign finance violations, sexual misconduct, and using his office for personal enrichment. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) has moved to expel Mills, as the Ethics probe intensifies. The dual expulsion crisis underscores the mounting pressure on the chamber to act.
Lawmakers are exploring various reform options, from expediting investigations to creating new channels for victims to report abuse without fear of retaliation. The specifics remain murky, but the bipartisan consensus suggests changes could be coming soon. As Steube put it, “It shouldn't take that long.”
