WASHINGTON — Republican Rep. Nancy Mace plans to force a House vote next week on her resolution to release sexual misconduct and harassment reports involving members of Congress, she told NBC News on Wednesday.
The South Carolina congresswoman’s resolution would require the House Ethics Committee to release all sexual misconduct or harassment reports involving members or their staffers.
She introduced it after numerous outlets, including NBC News, revealed that GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, sent sexually explicit text messages to a former aide with whom he allegedly had an affair. The aide later died by suicide and an attorney for her husband confirmed the authenticity of the texts to NBC News.
Gonzales denied last year that he had an affair with the aide and has suggested he is a victim of blackmail by the widower and of a a political attack as he faces a competitive primary March 3 in Texas.
He has been defiant, telling reporters, “I will not resign.”
When asked Tuesday whether the affair allegations were true, he responded: “What you’ve seen is not all the facts and there’ll be ample time for all of that.”
Asked about the text messages, Gonzales did not address them, instead saying he would not resign.
Mace said that she has been in contact with the parliamentarian about her resolution and that she has one tweak to make before she can file it as “privileged.” She is planning to make that motion March 4.
Once she does, the House Republican leadership will have two legislative days before it must schedule a floor vote. That could be a vote on Mace’s resolution itself — which would put members on the record on releasing sexual harassment and assault reports involving colleagues — or another vote to table the legislation or send it to committee.
Mace expressed doubt about whether enough lawmakers would vote in support of her resolution.
“When are we going to start policing our own? We haven’t done that yet because both sides protect each other from embarrassment,” she said.
The Office of Congressional Conduct, a nonpartisan and independent body, has conducted and completed an investigation into Gonzales, as NBC News previously reported. It is expected to send its findings to the House Ethics Committee next week. It’s unclear whether the House Ethics Committee has opened its own probe into the Gonzales allegations.
Mace has called for Gonzales to resign, joining a handful of other House Republicans in doing so — many of them fellow GOP women.
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., told reporters that Gonzales was a “disgusting pig,” as she left the Capitol on Wednesday. She added that House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., “should do something about it.”
Johnson, who is contending with a razor-thin majority, has called the allegations “serious” but said it’s up to Gonzales to address the issue with his constituents.
Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, meanwhile, said that stepping down “would be the stupidest thing he could ever do” when asked by NBC News about the resignation calls.
“Does it look good? No. I don’t like the appearance of it,” Nehls said. “He’s got a problem here. Don’t get me wrong, the optics are horrible, but I would in no way ever resign right now.”
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is among those backing Mace’s effort and said Tuesday: “I don’t think he brings honor to the House of Representatives and if I had the votes tomorrow, I’d kick him out of office.”
Luna has also taken aim at a congressional fund that members can use to cover sexual harassment or workplace discrimination claims, as allowed under the Congressional Accountability Act.
“Congressional ethics is a joke. They have so much dirt on members of Congress, and they do nothing,” she wrote on X. “There is even a slush fund they use to pay people off with your tax dollars. … It pisses me off because while some of us are actually working and busting our asses, these clowns are sexually harassing their own staff, doing illegal crap, insider trading etc.”
Mace told NBC News she’d be “fine” with expelling Gonzales, but also said: “My problem is that we don’t do it for everybody.”
“This is a good old boys club, and women that come to work on the Hill need to be respected, whether you’re a member of Congress and a female or you’re a female staffer,” she said. “We all should be treated with respect and with dignity and professionalism, and it shouldn’t be about a quid pro quo or sexual advances. You can’t be doing that, and we’ve got to police our own in order to restore trust in the institution.”
Mace has shared personal stories about being sexually assaulted and was one of the Republicans who helped force the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Last year, Mace tried to force a vote on censuring another Republican — Rep. Cory Mills of Florida — who was accused of misconduct against women.
Mills allegedly threatened to release sexually explicit videos and images of a former girlfriend, according to a police report obtained by NBC News. A federal judge granted a restraining order against Mills that was requested by the woman. Mills denied wrongdoing and the speaker has also stood by him.
Mace’s resolution against Mills failed, but eight Republicans voted in support of it; six of them women.
Johnson’s handling of these allegations surrounding some of the male lawmakers has deeply frustrated some of the Republican women in the conference.
“We sweep everything under the rug,” Mace told NBC’s Tom Llamas on Tuesday evening. “I understand due process and all of that, but at some point, people have to be accountable.”
“Everyone on the Hill has known this has been going on for months now,” she said of the Gonzales allegations, “and no action has been taken.”
