House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday that he supports expanding House rules to prohibit members of Congress from engaging in sexual relationships with any staffer on Capitol Hill. Johnson indicated that such relationships are inappropriate and should be barred, similar to policies in most corporations.
"I think it's inappropriate, as it would be in any workplace, and most companies have that. We should, at a bare minimum, in Congress have, you know, rules and traditions that are adhered to in corporate America. So that's an easy one for me," Johnson stated at a weekly Republican leadership news conference.
Currently, House rules forbid a lawmaker from having a romantic relationship with an employee under their direct supervision. However, this rule does not extend to staff members from other congressional offices.
The call for a broader ban gained traction after GOP Conference Chair Lisa McClain, R-Mich., posted on X over the weekend regarding a report by the New York Post. The report alleged that Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona was involved in romantic relationships with two staffers outside his own office during his tenure in the House from 2015 to 2025.
When asked about the accuracy of the Post's reporting, Gallego declined to comment on what he described as "gossip."
McClain, the highest-ranking Republican woman in the House, argued in her post that even consensual relationships carry an inherent power imbalance that can erode trust and create an appearance of impropriety. She stated that the objective should be to protect staff and uphold confidence in the institution.
Separately, the Senate Ethics Committee recently closed a complaint filed against Gallego by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla. The complaint alleged campaign finance violations and sexual misconduct. In a letter dated June 26, the committee informed Gallego that its investigation did not find evidence of violations of federal law, Senate rules, or related standards of conduct.
Allegations of sexual misconduct involving lawmakers have surfaced over the years. Former Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, resigned from Congress earlier this year following misconduct allegations. Swalwell denied accusations of sexual assault, while Gonzales acknowledged an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide.
Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., chair of the Republican Women's Caucus, announced a bipartisan initiative to reform how Congress addresses allegations of sexual misconduct. She emphasized that accountability should extend beyond resignations, calling for the closure of "resignation loopholes" and an end to secret findings and special treatment to ensure all offenders are held accountable.