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Democratic Congressmember Eric Swalwell of California and Republican Tony Gonzales of Texas resigned Tuesday. Both of them faced potential expulsion votes after they were accused of sexual misconduct involving former staffers.
Swalwell's resignation came just days after CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle reported multiple allegations against him, including twice raping a former staffer. Swalwell denied the allegations. He dropped out of the California gubernatorial race on Sunday. Gonzales had been facing calls to resign since February, when the San Antonio Express-News revealed he had an affair with a staffer who later took her own life, and also sent explicit text messages to another staffer.
"Congress itself shouldn't see these resignations as the end of the story here," says Fatima Goss Graves of the National Women's Law Center. "They actually should see it as the beginning of investigating not only what happened with these two individuals, but they need to understand whether or not they have a problem that is more of a pattern."
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Representative Mike Lawler, who is seeking re-election in a swing district in the Hudson Valley, faced tough questions from constituents about his stance on the war in Iran.
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The conflict has animated voters in the suburban swing district of Republican Rep. Mike Lawler ahead of the midterm elections.
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The Senate GOP leader is sensitive to Mike Johnson's tough position. But on Ukraine and spending, the Hill's two top Republicans are looking further apart.
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- Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the awarding of 37 grants, totaling $20 million, under the Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) Grant Program. The TVTP Grant Program is managed by DHS's Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) and is the only federal grant program dedicated to enhancing the capabilities of local communities to prevent targeted violence and terrorism. This year's grant program prioritized the prevention of domestic violent extremism, including through efforts to counter online radicalization and mobilization to violence.
"Domestic violent extremism and targeted violence pose significant and persistent threats to our homeland," said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. "Attacks on schools, houses of worship, workplaces, and public gatherings threaten Americans' lives and inflict trauma on our communities. The Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program prioritizes investments that empower and equip communities across our country to prevent acts of violence before they occur."
The FY21 TVTP grants expand on the Department's new approach to prevention, which centers on providing local communities with evidence-based tools to help prevent violence, while protecting civil rights and civil liberties and privacy rights. These grants will help local communities strengthen online and in-person prevention efforts, including by addressing early-risk factors that can lead to radicalization and violence.
The FY21 TVTP Grant Program is open to state, local, tribal, and territorial government agencies; institutions of higher education; and nonprofit organizations. DHS anticipates the next round of funding will become available for competition in late Winter/early Spring 2022. To ensure more equitable access to this grant program, CP3 provides technical assistance to interest
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