From the Epstein files to ousting colleagues, women in Congress are flexing their power

WASHINGTON – When two of their colleagues faced mounting accusations of sexual assault and misconduct last week, the two most powerful leaders in the House of Representatives – both men – refused to demand their resignations.

Women in Congress weren't having it.

In a matter of days, rank-and-file female lawmakers banded together across party lines to oust Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales. Rather than face being removed from office after embarrassing votes of their peers, the California Democrat and Texas Republican, respectively, resigned within an hour of each other.

It was a striking demonstration of bipartisan resolve on Capitol Hill. And on the heels of the overwhelming approval of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, it was just the latest example of female legislators teaming up, at odds with the men in charge of Congress, to force accountability for prominent figures accused of hurting women.

As the Swalwell allegations reached a fever pitch, two congresswomen in particular – Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, a New Mexico Democrat – worked in close collaboration on resolutions to expel Swalwell and Gonzales.

Both women told USA TODAY their efforts to expose abuse by powerful men are just getting started.

"This should've happened a while ago," Luna said.

Inside the expulsion push

Swalwell had a notable and, until recently, relatively successful career in Congress.

After serving as a local city council member, he represented California's 15th Congressional District, which includes the southwest side of San Francisco, from 2013 to 2023. He represented the 14th District, including Alameda County, from 2023 to 2026. A longtime ally of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, he was one of the key players during President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial over the Jan. 6 insurrection. He built up enough political clout over the years to run for governor of California and with his viral moments and social media savvy had become a front-runner in the primary.

All that professional progress seemingly exploded on a Friday afternoon, when multiple women accused him of sexual assault and misconduct in reports in the San Francisco Chronicle and on CNN. He has denied those allegations, calling them "absolutely false."

It didn't take long for Luna to decide enough was enough. The next day, she vowed to introduce a resolution to expel Swalwell. (Expelling a member of Congress is exceedingly rare – the last member of the House of Representatives to be successfully expelled was George Santos, who fabricated much of his resume.)

Initially, Luna wanted to combine her Swalwell measure with another one to force out Gonzales. The Texas Republican, who represented parts of San Antonio and El Paso, recently admitted to having an extramarital affair with a staffer who died by self-immolation in September after her husband said the interlude broke up their marriage. Gonzales later said on a podcast that he'd "made a mistake" and "had a lapse in judgment."

After Luna learned procedural rules would prevent her from pairing the two resolutions, a Democrat offered to help. Leger Fernández, who is also the chair of the House Democratic Women's Caucus, said she was drawing up her own bill to oust Gonzales. They agreed to support one another.

"She was one of the few stepping up to the plate," Luna told USA TODAY.

Meanwhile, the two men in charge of leading the chamber were notably muted. With a mere 2-vote margin in the House, neither Republican Speaker Mike Johnson nor Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries seemed eager to give up a congressional seat.

Johnson had already urged Gonzales not to seek reelection – but didn't call for his expulsion. Jeffries didn't publicly tell Swalwell to step down, either. He did, however, say the allegations were "disturbing" and encouraged the Californian to end his gubernatorial campaign.

Congresswomen played key role in releasing Epstein files

It wasn't the first time in the 119th Congress that female legislators forced a tectonic political shift. Late last year, they also paved the way for passing the bipartisan law to compel the release of Justice Department documents about Jeffrey Epstein, who died in custody while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

After Johnson declined to bring the legislation to the floor, Republican Reps. Nancy Mace and Lauren Boebert became crucial signatures on a petition to force the bill for a vote. Then-Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene also played a key role, arguably sacrificing her political career to support the measure. That decision became an element of a rift that developed between her and President Donald Trump before she resigned from Congress.

A newly sworn-in lawmaker, Rep. Adelita Grijalva, D-Arizona, became the last supporter needed to bring up the Epstein Files Transparency Act for debate.

"Justice cannot wait another day," she said from the House floor as she singlehandedly triggered the vote.

An ethical reckoning

An ethical reckoning on Capitol Hill may just be beginning.

Luna said she's pushing the Senate's ethics panel to investigate other lawmakers who may have been aware of Swalwell's alleged behavior. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, and Nancy Mace, R-South Carolina, whose political views on most matters couldn't be more divergent, agree about separately ousting Rep. Cory Mills, a Florida Republican under an ethics investigation related to allegations of assault and financial impropriety. (Mills told NewsNation that considering the accusations he's facing in the same light as those against Swalwell and Gonzales would not be a "fair comparison.")

In addition, Boebert, a Colorado Republican, said she's exploring legislation to keep Swalwell from receiving his pension. Starting in 2042, he'll be eligible for nearly $22,000 annually, according to an analysis shared with USA TODAY by the independent National Taxpayers Union Foundation. In the same year, Gonzales would also begin receiving $8,700 per year.

The stakes of all those efforts will be heightened during the approaching midterm elections. Just seven months away, the November contests could return control of the House to Democrats. And if that happens, the pressure to hold men in Congress accountable won't stop, Leger Fernández told USA TODAY.

"Once we get the gavels back, you will see us taking on these kinds of issues," she said.

Zachary Schermele is a congressional reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at [email protected]. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.