GOP Rep Cammack doubles down on Hill 'culture,' wants background checks, end to sexual misconduct

GOP Rep. Kat Cammack came down hard this week on the "culture" of Congress and those who work on Capitol Hill – calling for background checks and an end to what seems like an endless number of reports about alleged sexual misconduct among elected lawmakers.

"If we're really going to change the culture of Capitol Hill, both from the sexual misconduct element, but also address the national security concerns and loopholes here, this is a very easy and affordable first step," the Florida lawmaker said.

On Monday, she urged Congress to promptly vote on legislation that she proposed roughly a year ago to require background checks for all congressional staffers – arguing Capitol Hill needs to change and can no longer ignore glaring security vulnerabilities. 

"The American people have every right to be outraged about the fact that we have interns, fellows, and congressional staff who undergo zero vetting and yet have access to some of the most sensitive details about constituent work and casework," she later said on the Just the News, No Noise. 

She also said in a statement, "First, I was told it needed 100 cosponsors before it could be considered. Then I was told background checks couldn't be done. Then I was told that disclosures couldn't be published. The excuses keep changing, while the security risk stays the same."

She claims Cuba, Qatar, Egypt, Russia, and China all have assets in congressional offices and that such checks would cost about $9 million, around $750 for each of the roughly 12,000 congressional staff members.

She also took part in a bipartisan task force meeting on sexual harassment claims linked to multiple lawmakers' offices.

She afterward told Mediastouch network that she wouldn't want her daughter to work on Capitol Hill, calling it a “culture of creepiness.”

In April of this year, both former Representatives Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) resigned from office in response to sexual assault allegations from former staffers. The House Ethics Committee also revealed in an April press release that they have conducted 20 investigations into sexual misconduct allegations by members since 2017.

Separately, North Carolina Rep. Chuck Edwards reportedly gave personalized handguns to two young female staffers in 2024, triggering a House Ethics investigation.