{"id":13026,"date":"2026-07-21T23:56:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T18:56:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=13026"},"modified":"2026-07-21T23:56:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T18:56:16","slug":"mike-johnson-backs-ban-on-lawmakers-dating-hill-staff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=13026","title":{"rendered":"Mike Johnson backs ban on lawmakers dating Hill staff"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.axios.com\/szVU6H9Dqtn_TZwugZIL5QRRPtE=\/0x215:4499x2746\/1366x768\/2026\/07\/21\/1784646959697.jpeg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>House Speaker <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2026\/07\/16\/reconciliation-government-funding-republicans-mike-johnson\" target=\"_blank\">Mike Johnson<\/a> (R-La.) told Axios Tuesday he supports banning members of Congress from having romantic or sexual relationships with Capitol Hill staff, adding momentum to a discussion about tightening House workplace rules.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why it matters:<\/strong> Congress has been rocked this year by a series of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2026\/05\/10\/congress-sexual-misconduct-chuck-edwards-metoo-swalwell\" target=\"_blank\">sexual misconduct scandals<\/a>, prompting bipartisan conversations about reforming how the House deals with sexual harassment and misconduct.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;I think it&#8217;s inappropriate, as it would be in any workplace,&#8221; Johnson told Axios when asked about lawmakers engaging in relationships with staffers.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;We should, at a bare minimum in Congress, have, you know, rules and traditions that are adhered to in corporate America, so that&#8217;s an easy one for me,&#8221; Johnson continued.<\/li>\n<li>House rules prohibit members from engaging in sexual relationships with members of their own staff, but do not prohibit relationships with staff members outside their offices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Driving the news:<\/strong> A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2026\/05\/13\/johnson-jeffries-bipartisan-sexual-misconduct-congress\" target=\"_blank\">bipartisan House task force on sexual misconduct<\/a> is weighing whether to recommend banning lawmaker-staffer relations.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;If you&#8217;re a member, you really should not be doing that because you have extraordinary power and authority over that individual&#8217;s career, even if they are not in your office,&#8221; Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), the GOP lead on the task force, told Axios Tuesday.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;There is a massive power dynamic imbalance,&#8221; she added.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Cammack said banning relationships<\/strong> with staff outside of a member&#8217;s office remains under discussion, though lawmakers have a &#8220;difference of opinion&#8221; on the proposal.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>She said the task force is &#8220;70% of the way there&#8221; on a broader package of recommendations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Catch up quick: <\/strong>Calls for tougher rules ramped up after two lawmakers \u2014 Reps. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2026\/04\/13\/tony-gonzales-resigns-congress-republican\" target=\"_blank\">Tony Gonzales<\/a> (R-Texas) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2026\/04\/13\/eric-swalwell-resigns-congress-sexual-allegations\" target=\"_blank\">Eric Swalwell<\/a> (D-Calif.) \u2014 resigned earlier this year amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Swalwell also faces allegations of sexual assault.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Swalwell has denied the allegations, and Gonzales admitted to an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide.<\/li>\n<li>The Ethics panel lost jurisdiction over the matters when each of the lawmakers stepped down. Both were staring down <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2026\/04\/11\/eric-swalwell-expel-tony-gonzales-sexual-misconduct\" target=\"_blank\">imminent expulsion votes<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Separately,<\/strong> Axios has reported that Rep. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2026\/07\/20\/chuck-edwards-ethics-guns-female-staff\" target=\"_blank\">Chuck Edwards<\/a> (R-N.C.) had singled out two young female staffers for special attention that sources described as inappropriate.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Edwards is under House Ethics investigation for alleged sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment.<\/li>\n<li>Rep. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2026\/05\/11\/house-ethics-cory-mills-domestic-abuse-allegations\" target=\"_blank\">Cory Mills<\/a> (R-Fla.) is also under House Ethics investigation for allegations that center on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2025\/02\/24\/congress\/cory-mills-denies-assault-allegations-00205873\" target=\"_blank\">domestic abuse<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.notus.org\/congress\/cory-mills-iraq-bronze-star\" target=\"_blank\">stolen valor<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.news-journalonline.com\/story\/news\/nation-world\/2025\/03\/28\/cory-mills-finances-companies-reviewed-by-house-ethics-committee\/82696536007\/\" target=\"_blank\">financial misconduct<\/a>, all of which he denies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Zoom in:<\/strong> The <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/16\/us-news\/sen-ruben-gallego-had-sexual-relationships-with-two-house-aides-sources-reveal-to-the-post\/\" target=\"_blank\">New York Post<\/a> reported that Senator Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) engaged in romantic relationships with two staffers outside of his office while he served in the House. Asked about the allegations, Gallego <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/frankthorp\/status\/2077818161894748432\" target=\"_blank\">told NBC News<\/a> that he was &#8220;not going to engage in gossip.&#8221;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>In response, House Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), the highest-ranking woman in GOP leadership, called for a ban on member relations with congressional staff.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Even if a relationship is consensual, there is an inherent power imbalance that can undermine trust and create an appearance of impropriety,&#8221; McClain <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RepLisaMcClain\/status\/2078473693672472876?s=20\" target=\"_blank\">wrote on X<\/a>. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told Axios Tuesday he supports banning members of Congress from having romantic or sexual relationships with Capitol Hill staff, adding momentum to a discussion about tightening House workplace rules. Why it matters: Congress has been rocked this year by a series of sexual misconduct scandals, prompting bipartisan conversations about reforming&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13027,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/images.axios.com\/szVU6H9Dqtn_TZwugZIL5QRRPtE=\/0x215:4499x2746\/1366x768\/2026\/07\/21\/1784646959697.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13026"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13026\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13027"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}