The political establishment in Washington is bracing for impact as Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) moves to force a public reckoning over sexual misconduct inside Congress.
According to the Gateway Pundit, Mace introduced H.Res. 1072, a hard-hitting measure that would compel the House Ethics Committee to preserve and then publicly release all documents tied to investigations of sexual harassment or improper relationships between members and staff, with victims identities shielded. The resolution is a direct challenge to the culture of secrecy that has long protected powerful figures on Capitol Hill, and it comes from a lawmaker who is herself a survivor of sexual assault and has been outspoken about accountability in government.
In a press release outlining the measure, Maces office stated: The resolution directs the Committee on Ethics to preserve all documents and investigative materials related to violations or alleged violations of sexual harassment rules under clause 9 and clause 18 of rule XXIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives. The Committee would be required to publicly release all reports, conclusions, draft reports, recommendations, and accompanying materials within 60 days of adoption. Personally identifiable information of victims or alleged victims would be redacted to protect their privacy.
For conservatives who have long argued that Congress should live under the same transparency standards it often imposes on others, the proposal represents a rare effort to strip away institutional protections for entrenched elites.
The timing is no accident, arriving amid a disturbing scandal surrounding Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), who is accused of sending sexually explicit messages to a former female aide who later took her own life. Gonzales has denied having an affair and has complained of blackmail and political attacks, yet the nonpartisan Office of Congressional Workplace Rights is reportedly finalizing its review and preparing to transmit its findings to the Ethics Committee just ahead of his March 3 primary.
Mace made clear she intends to end the practice of shielding lawmakers from scrutiny behind closed doors. If you sexually harass someone in Congress you do not get to hide behind closed doors. Tony Gonzales showed us what is happening in Congress. But he is not the only one, said Congresswoman Mace.
She underscored that the stakes extend far beyond partisan politics or individual reputations. The American people deserve answers. Staff deserve answers. Women deserve answers. No more protection for predators in Congress. We are going to shine a light on every single one of them, she added.
Mace plans to file the measure as a privileged resolution on March 4, a procedural move that will force House leadership to bring it to the floor within two legislative days, ensuring every member must publicly choose between transparency and continued secrecy. With Republicans holding only a razor-thin majority and conservatives such as Reps. Lauren Boebert and Anna Paulina Luna backing Maces push, the vote will test whether Congress is serious about cleaning up its own ranks or content to preserve a system that shields alleged predators while lecturing the rest of the country on morality and accountability.
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