House Republican proposes ban on members dating any congressional staff, citing existing limits on their own offices

Rep. Lisa McClain, chairwoman of the House Republican Caucus, called for a bright-line rule barring members of Congress from romantic or sexual relationships with congressional staff. She said the standard should apply regardless of party.

McClain stated that even consensual relationships carry an inherent power imbalance that can undermine trust and create an appearance of impropriety. The goal, she said, is protecting staff and maintaining confidence in the institution. The New York Post reported on Thursday that Sen.

Ruben Gallego slept with at least two aides to Texas Democrats during his decade in the House. Democratic sources told the newspaper about the relationships, noting a significant age gap in one case. The House approved a policy in 2018 banning members from relationships with their own staff after four lawmakers resigned for alleged misconduct.

That rule does not explicitly cover staff from other offices. Rep. Nancy Mace said the response to such allegations is always the same and called it a culture issue. Rep. Kat Cammack noted that the Senate Ethics Committee closed its investigation into Gallego seventeen days before the new reporting emerged.