Congress is preparing votes that could remove multiple members from the House, with names like Rep. Eric Swalwell and others now squarely in the crosshairs amid serious allegations and growing calls for accountability.

We’re not going to debate here whether Rep. Eric Swalwell should be expelled; that fight is playing out in the halls and online. What matters is that his name has been added to a shortlist of lawmakers whose conduct has prompted calls for expulsion. Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike are wrestling with how to respond to accusations that go beyond mere missteps.

Those accusations are heavy: multiple women have leveled claims that include rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment, and those charges have pushed several members into the public glare. The situation moved fast, and careers that looked stable a week ago are now unravelling. For Republicans, the moment is about restoring standards and making sure the House doesn’t appear soft on serious misconduct.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna has announced plans to force a vote to expel Swalwell, and Democrats are signaling they would fight back with an expulsion push of their own targeting Rep. Tony Gonzales. If either side manages to clear the political and procedural hurdles, names like Reps. Cory Mills and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick could also face votes. Any expulsion requires a two-thirds majority in the House, so the bar is deliberately high.

Leaders on both sides say they want to safeguard due process, and Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have each emphasized protecting members’ rights before any punitive action. Rank-and-file members are uneasy about setting a precedent that would let allegations alone become the basis for removal. Still, plenty of colleagues are privately saying they want decisive action when conduct appears clearly disqualifying.

The scandal surrounding Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) is rapidly ballooning and could jolt a surge of expulsion votes for at least three of his House colleagues as soon as the chamber returns from recess next week.

Why it matters: Multiple members in the 119th Congress accused of grave misbehavior have so far survived every push to oust them. The bill may finally be coming due. 

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) announced plans to force a vote next week to expel Swalwell, who is facing allegations of sexual assault and sexual harassment, which he denies. 

Democrats plan to counter with a vote to expel Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), as Axios first reported. 

If those votes succeed — which may be a long-shot, given that expulsion requires a two-thirds majority in the House — votes to expel Reps. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) could follow, sources said. 

What we’re hearing: Lawmakers in both parties are exasperated with recent ethics and sex scandals, and some are privately entertaining the catharsis of a proverbial bloodletting. 

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Yes, but: If House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) agree on one thing, it’s allowing members to have what they see as sufficient due process before any punitive action is taken. 

Many rank-and-file House members are territorial about their prerogatives and terrified of the precedent it would set to expel someone on the basis of allegations that haven’t been fully adjudicated — even when they are highly unsavory. 

“I don’t want Congress to turn [into] the morality police,” said a fifth House Democrat, who told Axios that “if you commit a crime and [are] found guilty, you shouldn’t be there.” 

Swalwell’s career and his brief governor run in California collapsed in a matter of days after the allegations became public, and that rapid fall has convinced many Republicans this is not a gray-area scandal. The optics of protecting insiders or running cover for colleagues accused of serious crimes would not sit well with voters. For a GOP already focused on law and order messaging, holding the line on standards has both political and institutional importance.

There are strategic calculations in play. Forcing expulsion votes can be a way to draw contrasts with Democrats, to rally a base that demands accountability, and to reset norms on conduct. But it also risks backlash if the House appears to pursue members without clear, adjudicated findings. Republicans pushing these efforts know they must balance appetite for retribution with a credible process.

Practically, the two-thirds threshold makes outright expulsions difficult unless there is a broad, bipartisan consensus that wrongdoing is proven. That means the next few weeks will be full of hearings, statements, and procedural maneuvers as members test whether the House is ready to take this step. If expulsions move forward, the consequences will echo well beyond the individuals named.

Ultimately, this episode will test whether Congress can police itself without becoming a vehicle for partisan score-settling. Republicans intent on restoring accountability will press their case, arguing that the institution’s legitimacy depends on it. The clock is ticking and the House will have to decide soon whether it wants to be seen as enforcing serious standards or as a place where allegations are tolerated until they fizzle.