The push to forcibly remove multiple scandal-ridden members of Congress is picking up steam with several potential expulsion votes on deck this week.

Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, are expected to face an immediate expulsion threat when the House returns from a two-week recess on Tuesday. 

Swalwell, who dropped out of California’s 2026 gubernatorial race Sunday, is facing multiple sexual assault and misconduct allegations, including at least one involving a former staffer. The Manhattan district attorney’s office has also opened a criminal investigation into an incident that allegedly occurred in New York City.

Swalwell has repeatedly characterized the allegations as «false,» though he acknowledged a lack of judgment on Sunday. He has pledged to vigorously defend himself.

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Gonzales, who has admitted to having an affair with a staff member who later died by setting herself on fire, dropped his re-election bid in March after House GOP leadership called on him to suspend his campaign. He is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said over the weekend that she would introduce a resolution to expel Swalwell from the chamber if he does not resign. Meanwhile, Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., is vowing to draft a measure that would expel Gonzales.

The female lawmakers have said they support expelling both men from the House of Representatives. A growing share of lawmakers in both parties appear to share that view.

«That vote comes to the floor, I will be voting yes on both measures,» Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said on NBC’s «Meet the Press» on Sunday. «These allegations are despicable, and they demean the integrity of Congress. These things are just completely unacceptable. And as far as I’m concerned, both gentlemen need to go home.»

«I think that this is very important that we believe women and that we show people across the Capitol and across the country that we will not accept this kind of behavior,» Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., also said.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna departed the U.S. Capitol following a series of House votes on March 5, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

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Expelling a member of Congress is an incredibly high bar, and it is currently unclear whether both expulsion resolutions can obtain the two-thirds majority required to pass. To be successful, a significant portion of lawmakers will have to vote in favor of removing a member of their own party.

Former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., who was removed from the House in 2023, is the most recent member to be expelled. President Donald Trump pardoned Santos in 2025 after he was convicted of wire fraud and identity theft and sentenced to more than seven years in prison.

Both House Republican and Democratic leadership have yet to comment on rank-and-file efforts to expel Swalwell and Gonzales.

Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., and Cory Mills, R-Fla., could also become potential targets of expulsion resolutions, though just a handful of members have thus far signaled they would support the removal of the lawmaker from their own party.

«They should resign IMMEDIATELY. If they don’t, we should expel all of them,» Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., wrote on social media Sunday, referring to Swalwell and Gonzales, too. 

Cherfilus-McCormick is facing more than five decades in prison after allegedly funneling more than $5 million in disaster relief money to fund her congressional campaign and personal lifestyle.

A House Ethics adjudicatory subcommittee in March found her guilty of more than two dozen violations as part of an investigation separate from the federal criminal indictment. The panel is expected to formally recommend its suggested punishment later this month, which could be as severe as expulsion. 

House Democratic leadership has indicated they will withhold judgment on Cherfilus-McCormick until the ethics panel announces its decision.

Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormic was indicted by a Miami grand jury for allegedly stealing $5M FEMA funds on Wed, Nov. 18, according to the Department of Justice. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images)

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Mills, a former Army combat veteran, has faced myriad controversies, including allegedly misrepresenting his military service, domestic violence and threatening to release sexually explicit photos of a former girlfriend, and abusing his committee assignments to benefit defense contracting firms he owns. He is also the target of a House Ethics Committee investigation.

Both lawmakers have denied any wrongdoing and are running for re-election.

En una fase clave en la guerra de Medio Oriente, Donald Trump y el papa León XIV fueron protagonistas de un fuerte cruce. El presidente de Estados Unidos calificó al sumo pontífice como “débil” y él le respondió: “No le tengo miedo”.

Los cruces comenzaron luego de que León XIV criticara abiertamente la amenaza del mandatario estadounidense acerca de acabar con “toda una civilización” en el conflicto con Irán: aunque sin nombrarlo, el papa la calificó como “inaceptable” y animó a los fieles a “comunicarse” con los congresistas para pedir paz.

En esta primera Semana Santa como pontífice, también denunció en sus homilías “la hora oscura” que vive el mundo por la guerra, lamentado “una humanidad de rodillas por tantos ejemplos de brutalidad” o tachado de “blasfemos” a los gobernantes que “quieren vencer matando” o “se perciben poderosos cuando dominan”.

El papa León XIV también afirmó que “Dios no bendice ningún conflicto”, y quienes son “discípulos de Cristo”, no están nunca de lado “de quienes ayer empuñaban la espada y hoy lanzan bombas”, al recibir en el Vaticano a los miembros del Sínodo de la Iglesia Caldea de Bagdad.

Las críticas de Trump al papa León XIV

“El papa León es débil en materia de delincuencia y pésimo en política exterior. Habla del ‘miedo’ a la administración Trump, pero no menciona el miedo que la Iglesia Católica y todas las demás organizaciones cristianas sintieron durante la pandemia, cuando arrestaban a sacerdotes, ministros y a todo el mundo por celebrar misas, incluso al aire libre y manteniendo la distancia de seguridad”, expresó a través de Truth Social.

De la misma forma, aseguró que le cae mejor su hermano Louis porque es un “auténtico seguidor de MAGA”. “¡Él lo entiende, y León no! No quiero un papa que piense que está bien que Irán tenga armas nucleares. No quiero un papa que piense que es terrible que Estados Unidos atacara a Venezuela, un país que enviaba enormes cantidades de drogas a Estados Unidos y, peor aún, que liberaba a asesinos, narcotraficantes y criminales en nuestro país», insistió.

En el mismo sentido, aseguró que no quiere un papa que “critique al Presidente de los Estados Unidos”. “Estoy haciendo exactamente lo que me eligieron, por una aplastante mayoría, estableciendo cifras récord de delincuencia y creando el mejor mercado de valores de la historia”, señaló.

A la par, Trump sostuvo que su triunfo en las elecciones influenció la elección del sacerdote en el Cónclave. “León debería estar agradecido porque, como todos saben, fue una sorpresa mayúscula. No estaba en ninguna lista para ser papa, y la Iglesia lo puso allí solo porque era estadounidense, y pensaron que esa sería la mejor manera de lidiar con el Presidente Donald J. Trump. Si yo no estuviera en la Casa Blanca, León no estaría en el Vaticano”, declaró.

“Desafortunadamente, la debilidad de León contra el crimen y contra las armas nucleares no me convence, ni tampoco el hecho de que se reúna con simpatizantes de Obama como David Axelrod, un perdedor de la izquierda, que es uno de los que querían que arrestaran a feligreses y clérigos. Debería enmendar su papel como papa, usar el sentido común, dejar de complacer a la izquierda radical y concentrarse en ser un gran papa, no un político. ¡Le está haciendo mucho daño y, lo que es más importante, le está haciendo daño a la Iglesia Católica!“, completó.

La respuesta del papa León XIV

Luego de las críticas del republicano, el sumo pontífice le respondió mientras estaba a bordo del avión papal durante el vuelo hacia Argelia, donde comenzó este lunes su tercer viaje internacional. “No, no le tengo miedo a la administración Trump, ni a proclamar el mensaje del Evangelio en voz alta, que es para lo que creo que debo estar aquí, y por eso está aquí la Iglesia. No somos políticos, no vemos la política exterior desde la misma perspectiva, sino como constructores de paz”, dijo.

En el mismo sentido, sostuvo que no cree que el mensaje del Evangelio deba ser tergiversado “como algunos lo están haciendo” y aseguró que seguirá manifestándome enérgicamente contra la guerra, “tratando de promover la paz, el diálogo y el multilateralismo con los estados para buscar soluciones a los problemas”. “Demasiadas personas sufren hoy, demasiadas personas inocentes han muerto, y creo que alguien debe alzar la voz”, insistió.

De esta manera, León XIV afirmó: “Las cosas que yo digo no tienen por qué ser entendidas como un ataque a nadie. El mensaje del evangelio es muy claro: Bienaventurados los que construyen la paz”, agregó. Y señaló: “Esto es lo que creo que tengo que hacer, lo que la Iglesia tiene que hacer. No somos políticos, no nos ocupamos de política internacional con la misma perspectiva que él (Trump) pueda tener. Yo creo en el mensaje del evangelio que es el del construir la paz».

En el cierre, el sumo pontífice dijo que él solo está invitando “a todos para buscar la manera de construir puentes de paz y reconciliación, de buscar modos de evitar guerra siempre que se pueda”. “Creo que el presidente no está entendiendo lo que es el mensaje del evangelio”, aseveró y aclaró que siente “mucho” las palabras que le dirigió a Trump, pero que de igual manera seguirá con su misión. Incluso bromeó cuando le preguntaron sobre el post en Truth Social, la plataforma de Trump: “Ya es irónico el nombre del sitio web por no decir más…”

China said Sunday it would resume some ties it had suspended with Taiwan such as direct flights and imports of Taiwanese aquaculture products following a visit by the Beijing-friendly opposition leader of the self-ruled island.

The Taiwan Work Office under China’s Communist Party issued a statement saying it would explore setting up a longstanding communication mechanism between the Communist Party and Taiwan’s Kuomingtang Party. It said it will facilitate the import of Taiwan’s aquaculture products that it had previously banned.

Cheng Li-wun, the head of the Kuomingtang, and China’s President Xi Jinping held a high-profile meeting Friday during which they called for peace, without offering specifics. China claims the island as part of its territory and hasn’t ruled out the use of force to annex it.

Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, which oversees the relationship with China, said the measures that were announced, such as promoting a communication mechanism, were «political transactions» between the two parties that circumvented the government of Taiwan.

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«The government’s position is clear: to ensure the interests of the nation and its people, all Cross-Strait affairs involving public power must be negotiated by both governments on an equal and dignified basis to be effective and truly protect the rights and well-being of the people,» the Mainland Affairs Council said in response to the Chinese announcement.

Relations between China and Taiwan, which remain split since 1949, have been tense since the election of pro-independence President Tsai Ing-wen from the Democratic Progressive Party in 2016. Beijing cut off most of its official dialogue with Taiwan’s government, and has started sending warships and fighter jets closer toward the island on a daily basis.

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XI Jinping meets with a delegation of the Kuomintang in Beijing, China, on April 10, 2026. Taiwan pushed back after China announced new cross-strait measures following Xi Jinping’s meeting with the Beijing-friendly opposition leader. (Li Xiang/Xinhua via Getty Images)

In the statement, China said it plans to resume direct flights between Taiwan and mainland cities like Xi’an or Urumqi, although it remained unclear how the measures will be implemented without the approval of the Taiwanese government.

China banned its citizens from individual trips to Taiwan in 2019. Taiwan’s rules now require Chinese visitors to hold a valid resident visa from another country, like the U.S. or the European Union, to apply for a visitor visa.

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Xi Jinping speaks during a meeting with Taiwan’s opposition leader Cheng Li-wun at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday, April 10, 2026. China is offering limited trade and travel openings to Taiwan while continuing to press its territorial claim over the self-ruled island. (Xie Huanchi/Xinhua via AP)

China also said it would work toward construction of a bridge that would connect the mainland to Matsu and Kinmen, Taiwanese islands that are closer geographically to China. The project is a longstanding proposal that Beijing has previously announced.

China banned the import of Taiwanese pineapples in 2021, and since then has extended it to other fruits and products including the grouper fish, squid and tuna.

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After the initial ban on grouper, Taiwan’s Ministry of Agriculture said it approached China about making adjustments to ensure it met import requirements. China replied with a limited list of individual companies that were allowed to sell to China, but without explanation.