#MeeToo Moment In US: How Sexual Abuse Allegations Spurring Calls For Broader Reckoning In US Congress

Resignations came quickly this week from two congressmen accused of sexual misconduct toward staff members. Yet for many of the women of Capitol Hill, the moment of accountability was years in the making - and far from enough.

Reps Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, and Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, both announced within hours of each other on Monday that they were leaving Congress. Their decisions came the day before the House returned to Washington, as both faced the prospect of being expelled from the chamber by their colleagues.

A second woman came forward to accuse Swalwell of rape on Tuesday as the California Democrat and would-be governor resigned his seat in Congress, leaving him the subject of sexual assault investigations by law enforcement on both US coasts.

Former Beverly Hills model and software entrepreneur Lonna Drewes ‌is also the fifth woman to accuse Swalwell of sexual misconduct in recent days, deepening a scandal that prompted him to announce his resignation from the US House of Representatives on Monday.

It was a reckoning of sorts for Capitol Hill, the most striking since the careers of roughly a dozen male politicians were toppled during the heights of the #MeToo movement. Yet some congresswomen said that the pair of resignations took too long and proved what they've long been saying: that more must be done to rid Capitol Hill of sexual predation. "Today was an important turning point," said Democratic Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. "That it should - that abuse of power - should never be accepted, and above all, in public office. And so, I think this is an important resetting point for the institution."

A bipartisan group of congresswomen had threatened on Tuesday to file resolutions that could have forced votes on expelling Swalwell and Gonzales. Their moves forced the two men to act and came swiftly after the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN had reported Friday that a woman said Swalwell sexually assaulted her.

The initial allegations against Swalwell date back to 2019 and 2024; they were followed with other allegations of inappropriate behaviour made by other women. Swalwell has denied engaging in any sexual misconduct but acknowledged mistakes in judgment. Gonzales for months had resisted calls for his resignation after he admitted to a 2024 affair with a staff member who later committed suicide.

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"Accountability can happen. We can hold men accountable when they abuse women, and we're going to do more of it," said Rep Teresa Leger Fernandez, who chairs the Democratic Women's Caucus.

House rules forbid relationships with staff

It is against the House Code of Conduct for any member to have a sexual relationship with their staff members. Following the #MeToo movement, the House changed its rules to require annual training on sexual harassment and discrimination for members. The House also approved legislation to speed the slow-moving process for harassment complaints, require more disclosure of settlements and force lawmakers to personally pay any penalties they're required to make.

Former Rep Jackie Speier, a California Democrat who led the movement for reforms around sexual assault, told The Associated Press that problems still persist after those reforms. "What we do in Congress is basically look the other way," she said, adding that she was calling on House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries to "really tighten the rules and create a safe environment for these women to report."

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While Johnson said he did not talk with the lawmakers before they announced their resignations, he told reporters that the episode had played out "appropriately." "This is the right thing for the institution," he said.

How the push for accountability has grown

Sexual abuse has been top of mind for lawmakers as they investigate the actions of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. A handful of Republican women, mostly hailing from the right wing of their party, played crucial roles in forcing Congress to take up the issue.

Republican Rep Nancy Mace, alongside Rep Lauren Boebert and then-Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene, rebuffed pressure from President Donald Trump and Johnson last year as they joined with Democrats and forced a vote on a bill mandating the release of many of the case files on Epstein.

Mace, who in 2019 shared her own account of surviving rape, has continued an outspoken campaign advocating for victims of sexual assault. She and Republican Rep Anna Paulina Luna had repeatedly called for Swalwell and Gonzales to resign.

Mace has also extended that demand to Republican Rep Cory Mills, who is facing an ethics investigation on allegations of sexual misconduct and violence against an ex-girlfriend. Mills has said he will disprove the allegations.

(Note: Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by The Daily Jagran and has been published through a syndicated feed. Source - PTI)

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