Congress' seemingly endless cascade of scandals reached a new level today with two embattled House members announcing plans to leave Congress voluntarily rather than face expulsion.

Why it matters: House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have expressed hesitation to push any of their members out of office before they have received full due process.

• But some of their rank-and-file were ready to do that anyway.
• Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) preempted their fed-up colleagues today by quitting Congress.
• Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) and Cory Mills (R-Fla.) are possible targets of expulsion votes in the coming weeks, as we first reported on Saturday.

Driving the news: Allegations of sexual assault and sexual harassment made by four women last week against Swalwell — which he denies — have driven other long-simmering scandals back to the surface.

• Gonzales, who came under Ethics Committee investigation after admitting to an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide, said he will file his "retirement from office" tomorrow.
• Cherfilus-McCormick was found guilty by an Ethics subcommittee of a litany of charges, including funneling $5 million in COVID relief funds to her campaign. She is also under federal indictment; she has maintained her innocence.
• Mills is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee on an array of alleged misdeeds, including domestic abuse, stolen valor and financial misconduct, which he denies.

Zoom in: Some rank-and-file members argue that their colleagues shouldn't be formally sanctioned on the basis of allegations until they are substantiated by a formal process.

• Leadership has so far managed to redirect every effort to expel a member this congressional session, usually through a motion to refer the matter to the Ethics panel.

Between the lines: "The ethics process is completely flawed. ... I've been deeply disappointed by the pace and the disjointed approach," one senior House Democrat vented to us last month ahead of Cherfilus-McCormick's trial.

• Cherfilus-McCormick has been under investigation over allegations dating to 2022, with the panel set to finally meet April 21 to determine "what, if any, sanction would be appropriate."

The intrigue: The internal politics of members of Congress punishing one another are tricky, with lawmakers often enmeshed deep within the institution through connections and seniority.

• Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) had to surrender his leadership of the powerful House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense when he was indicted on bribery charges in 2024, only to regain the position after President Trump pardoned him in December.

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— Andrew Solender

Senate Majority Leader John Thune's plan to pass an "anorexic" reconciliation bill funding only Customs and Border Protection and ICE is already being challenged by his GOP colleagues.

Why it matters: Thune's theory is straightforward: The narrower the bill, the faster the Senate can move it.

• But some Republican senators are already eyeing reconciliation 2.0 as a vehicle for other priorities. Others want the spending to be offset.
• "Let's put a saddle on it and ride it, see how much we can get done," Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) told reporters.
• "We need to do the war," he added. "And then I'd put the SAVE Act in there — but add money to it."
• "I think we ought to pay for everything. We're running $2 trillion deficits," Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) told reporters.

Between the lines: Thune is on notice to hold the line and not cut any side deals.

• "A lot of it depends on how firm John [Thune] is going to be," Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) told reporters. "My guess is you'll have at least four or five senators, maybe more, take a run at him."
• "If John holds firm, then the bill will remain skinny. If he doesn't, it'll jeopardize passage."

Driving the news: Senate Republicans will attempt to settle on a strategy at their lunch meeting tomorrow, but Thune has already put down a marker.

• "Think skinny. Very, very skinny — anorexic-like skinny," Thune told reporters.
• "We're going to get it done. We're going to fund ICE — Immigration and Customs Enforcement — as well as Border Patrol," Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said on Fox News. "We're going to do it for the entire time that President Trump is in the White House."

Zoom in: Funding immigration enforcement at current levels would cost roughly $50 billion over three years, though the overall price tag hasn't been settled on. Any increase above current levels could pose another challenge.

• "My desire is to spend less money, not more," said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). "Are you hearing anybody talking about spending at current levels on ICE?"

The bottom line: Thune is focused on finding consensus in his chamber, but there's still a problem in the House, where conservatives insist they won't vote for any DHS appropriations until the Senate advances the reconciliation package for CBP and ICE.

• "I try not to tell the House what to do or how to do it, but obviously, the sooner we can get all those agencies funded, the better," Thune said.

— Hans Nichols