For one House Democrat, she has had enough of the sexual politics that have spiraled out of control on the Hill. Talk about a human resources nightmare—that’s what Democratic men and their trysts with staffers are. Some even crossed into outright criminal territory. In the words of Tony Soprano, you don’t s**t where you eat. That lesson seems to have been lost on these folks.
Now, Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM) wants to put an end to the numerous ongoing dating dramas that have caused nothing but heartache for everyone involved. It’s probably one of the few issues that have gained bipartisan support this year—Speaker Mike Johnson agrees (via USA Today):
Lawmakers' love lives are coming under a microscope as part of the next phase of a broader ethical reckoning on Capitol Hill.
Prohibitions on legislators dating their own staffers have long been in place – but amid a spate of recent scandals, some prominent voices in Congress, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, say stricter rules are long overdue. Bipartisan momentum is driving a new push to ban all members from having intimate relationships with any lower-level Hill employees, regardless of their boss.
"It's inappropriate, as it would be in any workplace," Johnson, R-Louisiana, told reporters this week. "We should, at a bare minimum in Congress, have rules and traditions that are adhered to in corporate America."
[…]
After two congressmen – Republican Tony Gonzales and Democrat Eric Swalwell – resigned this year amid allegations of sexual misconduct involving subordinates, leaders in Congress are prepping a potential overhaul of the legislative branch's ethics rules. Women lawmakers, in particular, are leading a bipartisan charge to hold themselves and their male colleagues to higher standards.
Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-New Mexico, the chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus, said a ban on members of Congress dating any staff has been a main focus of bipartisan ethics reform negotiations.
"Congress is a place you come to serve, not to date," she said in a statement to USA TODAY. "We're looking forward to passing this ban and enacting greater reform measures that will not only protect young staffers but change the culture on Capitol Hill."
And it extends beyond Gonzalez and Swalwell, though that’s a different story: Swalwell was credibly accused of rape, so forget dating, that’s a criminal matter that must be sorted out. But Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), a friend of Swalwell, also admitted to an affair with an aide. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) had sexual relationships with two former staffers when he was a House member. Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico also had two past relationships with staffers, one of which was his former chief of staff when he served as a state House representative.
I get that policing dating might be seen as intrusive, but there’s ample evidence that some fellas just can’t handle it. They say one bad apple spoils the bunch. Well, the orchard is dead here.
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