The last time this many scandal-plagued House lawmakers quit in quick succession was 2017 during #MeToo.

Why it matters: Shame is in short supply in Congress. But three lawmakers have resigned in the last week to avoid getting expelled from the House.

• Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) resigned today just ahead of a House Ethics Committee hearing to recommend her punishment over a litany of charges she denies.
• Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) agreed to resign last week after bipartisan calls for an expulsion vote over sexual misconduct claims that he denies.
• Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) resigned last week over allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, which he denies, after an expulsion push against him.

Between the lines: House leaders and their allies often push embattled lawmakers to quit ahead of expulsion votes.

• Multiple members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who had been among Cherfilus-McCormick's most ardent defenders, spoke to her ahead of the Ethics Committee hearing, a senior House Democrat told us.
• House Speaker Mike Johnson encouraged Gonzales to end his reelection bid last month after he admitted to having an affair. Gonzales decided to retire, then made his retirement immediate during last week's expulsion frenzy.

Zoom in: House Ethics Committee chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) told us he needs more resources to "move matters through more quickly."

• "Ethics is front and center of leadership," Guest said, adding he'd like to speak to Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries about how additional resources could be beneficial.
• The panel released a rare public statement yesterday calling on victims of sexual misconduct to report their accusations to the committee. It also included a list of current and past misconduct allegations.
• "We are looking at every potential avenue to tighten up the rules and make sure that women have an avenue to report," Johnson said today.

What's next: Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) is planning to force a vote on expelling Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) this week over allegations that include financial misconduct, campaign finance violations and sexual misconduct, all of which he denies.

• Mills shot back: "[Mace] wants to fundraise, she wants political theatrics, she does this all the time where she'll pick a fight for fundraising and try and get social media clicks and likes, but I'm actually challenging her to go ahead and put it forward."

— Kate Santaliz, Andrew Solender and Justin Green

Cherfilus-McCormick's resignation has some Democrats fuming about what they say was an unfair process and even expressing buyer's remorse about voting to expel George Santos from Congress.

• Santos (R-N.Y.) was expelled in 2023 in a 311-114 vote — with all but four Democrats voting for his ouster — after the Ethics Committee accused him of a "complex web of unlawful activity" involving his finances.

Zoom in: "I think we're going a little too far when we start expelling members who ... fall victim to an indictment, but before they have been convicted or pleaded guilty," Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) told us.

• Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) told us: "We ought to be extremely careful about due process."

What to watch: We spoke to more than half a dozen Democrats who said they have serious reservations about voting to expel Mills before his Ethics Committee process is concluded — or even after that.

• "Why we think we should get in front of cases, judges, charges, juries, is beyond me," Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.) told us.

The other side: Other Democrats signaled that Cherfilus-McCormick's resignation has actually warmed them up to the idea of ousting Mills.

• "I think we're setting new standards, and the standard has got to fit for everybody, Democrats and Republicans," said Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.).

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— Andrew Solender

Senate Majority Leader John Thune is pressing the Trump administration to end the GOP staring contest over Kevin Warsh's confirmation as Fed chair.

Why it matters: Frustration inside the GOP conference is mounting over the own goal they see President Trump making on spurring economic growth and taming inflation.

• "We all agree that Kevin Warsh is a great pick and hopefully will be confirmed," Thune told reporters.
• "The sooner the administration can wrap up this investigation and get ready to move forward with the new Fed chairman, the better off everybody will be."

Zoom out: Warsh's nomination is caught in a three-way standoff among Trump, Fed chair Jerome Powell and an outgoing senator: Thom Tillis (R-N.C.).

• Trump has attacked Powell over interest rates and cost overruns tied to Fed headquarters renovations.
• Tillis believes those criticisms are a pretext to pressure the Fed on monetary policy. He's drawn a line and won't advance Warsh until the Department of Justice formally ends its investigation into Powell.

Zoom in: "Let's get rid of this investigation so I can support your confirmation," Tillis told Warsh.

• Tillis has personally vouched for Warsh, adding: "I think you're going to be independent."

The bottom line: Powell's term as chair expires May 15.

• If Warsh isn't confirmed by then, Powell has indicated he would remain as chair pro tempore.

Go deeper: Axios chief economic correspondent Neil Irwin's report from the hearing

— Hans Nichols