Bipartisan furor over sexual misconduct allegations against Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) is cascading into calls to expel not only him, but three other members — two Republicans and a Democrat — accused of wrongdoing.
The dynamic could upend the House in the coming weeks with forced votes, intense debate, and at least one public House Ethics Committee hearing on the books. The controversy comes as Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) tries to marshal GOP support for reauthorizing foreign spy powers and avoiding a Department of Homeland Security shutdown.
What the Left Is Saying
A growing number of Democrats have joined calls for expelling members accused of wrongdoing. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), and Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) have said they would be in favor of expelling both Swalwell and Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas).
These Democrats argue that members facing serious allegations should not be allowed to continue serving while the Ethics Committee investigates. They emphasize that expelling members accused of misconduct upholds the integrity of the institution.
However, some Democrats have also raised concerns about due process. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has called for the Ethics process to play out when asked about Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.), who faces 25 ethics violations related to allegedly using millions in improperly paid federal disaster funds to finance her campaign.
What the Right Is Saying
Republicans are leading many of the expulsion calls, arguing that the House must clean up its membership. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) called for votes to expel Swalwell, Gonzales, and Cherfilus-McCormick upon the House's return if they do not resign.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) added Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) to the list, writing on the social platform X: "Time to clean House. These members have proven through their own actions they are unfit to serve."
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) said he would vote to expel both Swalwell and Gonzales. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) said she will file a motion to expel Swalwell and is inquiring about pairing that with a motion to expel Gonzales.
Speaker Mike Johnson has long argued in favor of letting the Ethics panel complete its investigations before the chamber takes action. A resolution brought by Mace to censure Mills and remove him from committees was scuttled in November when the House voted to refer the matter to the House Ethics Committee.
What the Numbers Show
Expelling a member from Congress requires support from two-thirds of the House — 290 votes in the current chamber. The Ethics Committee is already investigating or taking action against three of the four members: Gonzales, Mills, and Cherfilus-McCormick.
The committee will hold a public hearing to determine what sanctions would be appropriate for Cherfilus-McCormick on April 21. An Ethics subcommittee last month found she had committed 25 violations related to allegedly using millions in improperly paid federal disaster funds to finance her campaign. She is also being criminally prosecuted in a federal case over the matter.
Mills is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee for allegations of dating violence, campaign finance violations and more. His former girlfriend obtained a retraining order against him last year for harassment, and another girlfriend accused him of assault before quickly recanting.
Gonzales's affair was reported earlier this year, leading to an Ethics Committee referral and the Texas congressman ending his bid for reelection in March. It is against House rules for a member to have a sexual relationship with a member of their staff.
Expelling all four members or just Swalwell and Gonzales would not change the partisan breakdown, which analysts note adds to the pro-expulsion momentum in a razor-thin House GOP majority.
The Bottom Line
The furor threatens to upend Speaker Johnson's legislative agenda at a critical moment, with foreign spy powers reauthorization and a plan to end the record-long DHS shutdown both requiring GOP unity.
The House Ethics Committee process remains central to the debate. While some members demand immediate expulsion votes, others argue investigations should be allowed to conclude first — a position that has precedent, as the House twice batted down attempts to expel former Rep. George Santos until after the Ethics panel released its investigation.
Former Rep. George Santos, who was expelled from the House, advised the embattled members to resign rather than be forced out. "There is NO dignity in being expelled," Santos wrote on X on Sunday. The coming weeks will test whether the House can reach the two-thirds threshold needed to remove any member, or whether the controversy ends with resignations instead.