Washington’s problems are not hidden. Many of them simply go unaddressed. On Capitol Hill, “open secrets” persist because Congress has chosen to look the other way.

Ask almost any staffer on Capitol Hill, and they can tell you which offices to avoid, which members have a reputation and which situations are quietly tolerated because confronting them would be politically inconvenient. Rumors are not just whispered behind closed doors; they are broadcast to virtually anyone dialed in to the right frequency. Leadership hears them. Colleagues hear them. The press often hears them too. And still nothing happens.

Awareness is not the problem. The blatant absence of accountability is.

When misconduct is tolerated in this way, it sends a message that members of Congress operate under a different standard to the people they represent.

I have rejected that idea, which is why I took action in cases involving Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales. In both situations, concerns about misconduct had circulated for an extended period, supported by reporting, internal discussions and, in Gonzales’s case, documented behavior that raised serious questions.

I introduced resolutions to expel both members and made clear that I was prepared to force a vote if they refused to resign. My........

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