Rep. Nancy Mace Introduces Resolutions to Ban Members of Congress from Sexual Relationships and Cohabitation with House Staff

WASHINGTON, D.C., (July 30, 2026) – Today, Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R-SC) introduced two resolutions to close the long-exploited loopholes in House ethics rules, banning Members of Congress from engaging in sexual relationships with or living with any House employee. 

The first resolution would prohibit any Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner from engaging in a sexual relationship with any House employee. Under current rules, the ban only covers a Member's direct staff and staff of committees the Member sits on, leaving thousands of other House employees with zero protection. 

A recent example of a member this resolution would apply to include Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ). According to reports,while serving in the House of Representatives, Gallego had sexual relationships with two aides working for Texas Democratic members of Congress. The reports also described Gallego as "very flirtatious" with other staffers.

"If you're a Member of Congress, your priorities should be serving your constituents and this country, not fooling around with staff," said Congresswoman Mace. "There has been a culture of Members abusing their power over staff for far too long and we're done watching it happen. It's gross, it's a disgrace to the taxpayers who send you here to work for them, and it has gone on long enough. Congress is not your personal dating pool. If you can't do your job without hitting on staff, find another job and leave the women you work with alone."

The second resolution would prohibit any Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner from cohabitating with any House employee, unless the employee is the Member's spouse. Shockingly, there is no rule prohibiting this today.

Examples of who this resolution would apply to include former Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY), who lived with as many as five aides in a Capitol Hill townhouse before resigning in 2010 amid allegations he groped and sexually harassed multiple young male aides, including those he lived with. This year, another Member has faced reports of living with a senior male staffer at his Capitol Hill residence. Under current House rules, none of it is prohibited.

"A boss and a roommate should never be the same person," said Congresswoman Mace. "No staffer should ever be coming home at night to the person who signs their paycheck. It's inappropriate, it's a conflict of interest, and it should have been banned decades ago. If you're planning on living with a staffer, you should resign first."

Rep. Mace has been leading the charge in Congress on holding Members accountable for their misconduct, and these two resolutions are the next step in her effort to do so.

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