New Delhi: Republican Nancy Mace has introduced two resolutions in the US House of Representatives to ban sexual relationships and live-ins between the members and staffers of Congress. A Congresswoman representing South Carolina, Mace wants to stop members from treating Congress as their “personal dating pool”.
There is already a rule in place in the US, prohibiting lawmakers from having intimate relationships with their subordinates serving in their offices or on the committees that the members are a part of. The House opted for the ban in 2018 in the wake of the ‘#MeToo’ moment
Now, Mace is seeking to “close the long-exploited loopholes in House ethics rules” and ban Congress members from engaging in sexual relationships with any House employee, not just subordinates or direct staff.
“If you’re a Member of Congress, your priorities should be serving your constituents and this country, not fooling around with staff,” said Mace.
“There has been a culture of Members abusing their power over staff for far too long and we’re done watching it happen. It’s gross, it’s a disgrace to the taxpayers who send you here to work for them, and it has gone on long enough. Congress is not your personal dating pool. If you can’t do your job without hitting on staff, find another job and leave the women you work with alone.”
Also read: Giraffes show basic maths skills, can mentally add hidden food quantities
‘A conflict of interest’
The first of the two resolutions, introduced on 30 July, seeks to prevent any member, delegate or resident commissioner from having an intimate relationship with any House staffer. The second would ban such members from cohabiting with any House employee, “unless the employee is the Member’s spouse.”
Giving an “example” of who this rule would apply to, Mace said that former New York Democrat Eric Massa lived with five of his aides in a Capitol Hill townhouse. In 2010, Massa was accused of groping men and having inappropriate physical contact with one intern. He resigned soon after the allegations were made, citing health issues.
“A boss and a roommate should never be the same person,” said Mace. “No staffer should ever be coming home at night to the person who signs their paycheck. It’s inappropriate, it’s a conflict of interest, and it should have been banned decades ago. If you’re planning on living with a staffer, you should resign first.”
Last month, Speaker Mike Johnson supported a ban on Congress members from engaging in sexual relationships with any House staffer, saying it would not be acceptable “in any situation”.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)