BS BRIEF:
- Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) said she would not want her daughter working on Capitol Hill, citing what she called a longstanding “culture of creepiness” and warning that lawmakers continue to abuse power imbalances with staff.
- Cammack’s remarks come as House leaders weigh expanding ethics rules to prohibit members of Congress from having romantic or sexual relationships with any congressional staffer—not just employees in their own offices. Speaker Mike Johnson has endorsed the idea.
- The push follows a series of recent misconduct allegations involving lawmakers and has sparked bipartisan discussions about strengthening workplace protections and accountability on Capitol Hill.
KAT CAMMACK SOUNDS ALARM OVER ‘CULTURE OF CREEPINESS’ ON CAPITOL HILL
Rep. Kat Cammack says Congress has a workplace problem—and she isn’t sugarcoating it.
During an interview with MeidasTouch on Wednesday, the Florida Republican said she would not feel comfortable encouraging her own daughter to take a job on Capitol Hill because of what she described as an entrenched “culture of creepiness” involving some members of Congress and their treatment of staff.
The comments come as lawmakers from both parties debate whether House ethics rules should be expanded to prohibit members of Congress from pursuing romantic or sexual relationships with any congressional staffer, closing what many lawmakers say is a significant loophole in current policy.
PabloReports: Tell us about this effort to prevent members from dating staffers.
Cammack: If you’re looking for love, I suggest you look elsewhere. Maybe join—I don’t know—what are the dating apps these days? eHarmony? Match? Grindr? Tinder?
PabloReports: Are staffers telling… pic.twitter.com/5OggBim9mN
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 22, 2026
Asked about the proposal, Cammack suggested lawmakers should keep their personal lives separate from their official duties.
“Listen, if you’re looking for love, I suggest you look elsewhere,” she said. “I think we’d be better off if members were more focused on their work than enhancing their love life.”
When asked whether she had heard complaints about inappropriate conduct by lawmakers toward staff, Cammack’s response was immediate.
“I’m trying to think of another way to say ‘eff-yeah’ without using that word,” she said. “It’s a really big… problem.”
She argued that the issue extends beyond individual incidents.
“People don’t recognize the power imbalance that exists here on Capitol Hill, and it’s extraordinarily inappropriate if you are the member and you are trying to put the moves on your own staff.”
Cammack said she generally prefers government to stay out of people’s personal relationships, but maintained that Congress presents unique circumstances because of the imbalance of authority between elected officials and young staff members.
“What we have seen is… a culture of creepiness where you have members that are soliciting staff, they’re approaching staff, they’re putting them in very awkward situations, and that’s just wrong.”
Her strongest comments came when discussing young people considering careers in Congress.
“I wouldn’t feel comfortable sending my daughter to work here on Capitol Hill.”
Asked directly whether parents should think twice before encouraging their children to work in Congress, Cammack replied:
“Not in this environment, no.”
House leaders will consider broader reforms to congressional workplace rules. Current House ethics standards prohibit members from engaging in relationships with employees under their direct supervision, but they do not bar relationships with staffers employed by other offices. Speaker Mike Johnson has said he supports expanding the prohibition, arguing such relationships are inappropriate in any workplace.
Cammack is also co-leading a bipartisan working group with Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) examining additional reforms to address sexual misconduct, reporting procedures and accountability throughout Congress.
DBS WIRE SOURCES:
- Mediaite – House Republican Says She Wouldn’t Want Daughter to Work on Capitol Hill Due to ‘Culture of Creepiness’
- Axios – Mike Johnson backs ban on lawmakers dating Hill staff
- ABC News – Speaker Johnson supports expanding ban on lawmaker relationships with subordinates
- Rep. Kat Cammack (Official House Office) – Speaker Johnson and Leader Jeffries Tap Chairwoman Cammack and Chairwoman Leger Fernández to Lead Bipartisan Partnership to Combat Workplace Sexual Misconduct in Congress
