Democratic and GOP women announce 'partnership' to address sexual misconduct

Nina Heller, CQ-Roll Call on May 13, 2026

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WASHINGTON — As some worry that an uproar over sexual misconduct in Congress will pass without meaningful change, House members announced a “bipartisan partnership” Wednesday.

The goal is to “identify reforms and solutions to make Congress a safer work environment for women and all survivors,” according to a news release.

Reps. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M., and Kat Cammack, R-Fla. — who chair the Democratic Women’s Caucus and Republican Women’s Caucus, respectively — have been “designated” by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Speaker Mike Johnson to lead the effort.

Johnson had previously said he would lead a push for change himself.

House Administration Chair Bryan Steil, R-Wis., and ranking member Joseph D. Morelle, D-N.Y., will participate in an “ex officio” capacity, with proposals to be taken up by their panel, which has jurisdiction over workplace issues on the Hill.

“Together, we will push for bipartisan changes to make the reporting process faster and more accessible and increase education and training resources,” Leger Fernández said in a statement.

Cammack said Congress should “set the standard” for workplace protections, “not lag behind it.”

“Accountability cannot begin and end with punishment after the fact. It must include prevention, transparency, education, and systems people can actually trust,” she said in a statement.

Institutional changes on the Hill don’t come easy and require enough political will. It’s not clear how much power the bipartisan partnership will have and how its work might stack up to any more formalized effort, such as a task force or select committee.

Calls for an overhaul were widespread following the resignations of now former Reps. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, and Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., both of whom faced allegations of sexual misconduct.

Florida Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna has been among the loudest voices urging lawmakers to rethink how misconduct is dealt with on the Hill. As of Wednesday afternoon, Luna said she had not been personally asked to be part of the effort but thinks Cammack and Leger Fernández would do a good job.

“Isn’t it interesting that they don’t want me to be on that since I’m very vocal on it? I don’t care, I’m more effective off panels anyways,” Luna said.

“To state the obvious, all women should feel comfortable and safe working in the halls of Congress. As a father who has two daughters working on Capitol Hill — this is as personal to me as it is to anyone,” Johnson said in a statement.

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