Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C) has introduced a resolution on Tuesday directing the House Committee on Ethics to preserve and publicly release all records related to investigations of members of Congress for sexual harassment.

The measure, H. Res. 1072, targets documents and reports on alleged violations of clause 9 and clause 18 of Rule XXIII of the House Rules. Clause 9 prohibits employment discrimination based on sex, among other factors. Clause 18 bars members from engaging in sexual relationships with staff they supervise. If adopted, the committee would have 60 days to disclose reports, conclusions, draft reports, recommendations, and related materials.

Mace framed the push for transparency as a response to recent revelations about Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas. Text messages from May 2024 between Gonzales and his former regional district director, Regina Santos-Aviles, showed the congressman requesting "sexy" photos and details on sexual positions, including anal sex and preferences like "on top pinning your legs." Santos-Aviles, who was married with a young child, responded at one point that it was "going too far."

The affair came to light after Santos-Aviles' husband discovered it on May 31, 2024, leading to divorce proceedings and her reported ostracism at work. She died by self-immolation in September 2024. Gonzales initially denied the relationship as "completely untruthful" and later accused her ex-husband of blackmail. The Office of Congressional Workplace Rights opened an investigation in November, but restrictions prevent referral to the Ethics Committee within 60 days of elections, with Texas primaries set for March 3.

"If you sexually harass someone in Congress, you do not get to hide behind closed doors. Tony Gonzales showed us what is happening in Congress. But he is not the only one," Mace said in a statement. "The American people deserve answers. Staff deserve answers. Women deserve answers. No more protection for predators in Congress."

The push comes under the 1995 Congressional Accountability Act, which applies employment laws, including those against sexual harassment, to Congress. Mace's office emphasized: "Sexual harassment has no place in the institution of Congress. It is time we proved it."

Mace, a rape survivor who has previously spoken out against sexual misconduct in Congress, called the texts "disgusting and inexcusable" and demanded Gonzales resign immediately. She is joined by other Republicans, including Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, and Thomas Massie of Kentucky have also urged Gonzales to step down or abandon his reelection bid.