Congressional Expulsion Efforts Gain Momentum as House Returns from Recess

The push to remove multiple scandal-plagued members of Congress is intensifying, with several potential expulsion votes expected this week as lawmakers return from a two-week recess.

Representatives Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) face immediate expulsion threats when the House reconvenes Tuesday. Both lawmakers are embroiled in serious sexual misconduct allegations that have drawn bipartisan condemnation.

Swalwell, who abruptly ended his California gubernatorial campaign on Sunday, is facing multiple sexual assault allegations, including at least one involving a former staff member. The Manhattan district attorney’s office has opened a criminal investigation into an incident allegedly occurring in New York City. Though Swalwell has characterized the allegations as “false,” he acknowledged “a lack of judgment” in his Sunday statement and pledged to defend himself.

Gonzales admitted to having an affair with a staff member who later died by suicide by self-immolation. He abandoned his re-election bid in March after House Republican leadership pressured him to suspend his campaign. The House Ethics Committee is currently investigating the matter.

The expulsion efforts are being led by female lawmakers from both parties. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) announced plans to introduce a resolution to expel Swalwell if he does not resign, while Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.) is drafting a measure targeting Gonzales. Both congresswomen have expressed support for expelling both men.

“That vote comes to the floor, I will be voting yes on both measures,” Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday. “These allegations are despicable, and they demean the integrity of Congress. These things are just completely unacceptable. And as far as I’m concerned, both gentlemen need to go home.”

The sentiment appears increasingly bipartisan. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) emphasized, “I think that this is very important that we believe women and that we show people across the Capitol and across the country that we will not accept this kind of behavior.”

Expulsion from Congress requires a two-thirds majority vote—a deliberately high threshold that would necessitate significant cross-party support. For each expulsion to succeed, a substantial number of lawmakers would need to vote against a member of their own party, something that rarely occurs in today’s polarized political environment.

The most recent member to be expelled was former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), who was removed in 2023 following numerous scandals and legal issues. Santos was later convicted of wire fraud and identity theft, receiving a prison sentence exceeding seven years before being pardoned by President Donald Trump in 2025.

Two additional House members could potentially face expulsion votes: Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) and Cory Mills (R-Fla.).

Cherfilus-McCormick faces more than five decades in prison after allegedly misappropriating over $5 million in disaster relief money to fund her congressional campaign and personal expenses. A House Ethics adjudicatory subcommittee found her guilty of more than two dozen violations in March as part of an investigation separate from the federal criminal indictment. The ethics panel is expected to announce its recommended punishment later this month, which could include expulsion.

Democratic leadership has indicated they will reserve judgment on Cherfilus-McCormick until the ethics panel delivers its formal recommendation.

Mills, a former Army combat veteran, faces numerous allegations, including misrepresenting his military service, domestic violence, threatening to release sexually explicit photos of a former girlfriend, and leveraging his committee assignments to benefit defense contracting firms he owns. He is also under investigation by the House Ethics Committee.

Both Cherfilus-McCormick and Mills have denied wrongdoing and are seeking re-election despite the controversies surrounding them.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) took a firm stance on Sunday, writing on social media: “They should resign IMMEDIATELY. If they don’t, we should expel all of them,” referring to both Swalwell and Gonzales.

Neither House Republican nor Democratic leadership has yet commented on the rank-and-file efforts to expel these members, leaving uncertainty about whether party leaders will support these unprecedented expulsion attempts.