Speaker Johnson supports expanding ban on lawmaker relationships with subordinates
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday he supports a change to House rules that would ban members of Congress from having a sexual relationship with any staffer on Capitol Hill.
"I can't believe it would be acceptable in any situation," Johnson said at the weekly Republican leadership news conference.
"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 said.
While it is against House rules for a lawmaker to have a romantic relationship with any employee who works under their direct supervision, the language does not apply to all of Congress and does not bar relations with staff from other offices.
GOP Conference Chair Lisa McClain, R-Mich., called for a ban on lawmaker-staff relationships in a post on X over the weekend after the New York Post published a story that Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona was in romantic relationships with two staffers outside his office while he served in the House from 2015 to 2025.
Asked if The Post's reporting was accurate, Gallego told reporters, "I'm not going to engage in gossip."
In her post, McClain, the highest-ranking female Republican in the House, said, "Even if a relationship is consensual, there is an inherent power imbalance that can undermine trust and create an appearance of impropriety. The goal should be protecting staff and maintaining confidence in the institution."
The Senate Ethics Committee recently dismissed a complaint filed by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., against Gallego, alleging campaign finance violations and sexual misconduct.
"Based on the investigation of the Committee, the Committee did not find evidence that your action violated Federal law, Senate Rules, or related standard of conduct," the Committee wrote in a letter addressed to Gallego dated June 26.
Lawmakers from both parties have been accused of sexual misconduct over the years, as detailed in this fact sheet from the Ethics Committee.
Former Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, resigned from Congress earlier this year because of allegations of sexual misconduct. Swalwell was also accused of sexual assault, which he has denied. Gonzales admitted to an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide.
Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., said in a post on X reacting to the Post's Gallego story that as chair of the Republican Women's Caucus, she is leading a bipartisan effort to reform how Congress handles allegations of sexual misconduct.
"Accountability cannot begin and end with resignations," she said. "Close the resignation loopholes. No more secret findings. No more special treatment. Hold every offender accountable."
