Rep. Nancy Mace is calling for a reckoning in the halls of Congress following the resignation of Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell. She accused the political establishment of shielding predators to protect their own power and introduced a resolution to stop it.
Mace joined “Saturday in America” to discuss the resolution she put forward for the House Ethics Committee to release its records on sexual harassment by lawmakers.
“I think there should be an avalanche of resignations,” Mace said, adding, “I want every single predator that’s in Congress now to be forced to resign. I don’t care how long it takes. If we can do it fast, let’s do it now, regardless of party.”
Mace’s renewed action comes after Swalwell resigned from Congress and ended his California gubernatorial bid earlier this month following multiple sexual misconduct allegations. At least five women have accused him of misconduct, including Lonna Drewes, who alleges he drugged and raped her in a hotel room in 2018.
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Since the allegations surfaced, some journalists and political operatives have said Swalwell’s behavior was widely known on Capitol Hill. Mace said she wants to end the culture of silence on both sides of the political aisle.
“Both parties decided that they would vote against revealing the sexual harassment records of their own party,” Mace said of a previous vote that failed on the issue.
“What happens is both parties will protect the other because they don’t want their skeletons out there,” she added.
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Not long after Swalwell’s resignation, Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales also announced his resignation from Congress. He admitted earlier this year to an inappropriate sexual relationship with a staffer.
Mace said she raised concerns about Gonzales with colleagues after hearing rumors about him, adding the resolution is meant to hold all members of Congress to the same standard.
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“We need to clean up our own party because if we’re [going to] attack Democrats for their behavior, we have to be willing to acknowledge when we have someone that needs to be kicked out,” Mace said.
In a statement posted Monday, Swalwell vowed to fight the “serious, false allegations made against me.”
“Expelling anyone from Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But, it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress,” Swalwell said.
