WASHINGTON-The House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to censure Rep. Chuck Edwards (R., N.C.) over allegations that the lawmaker sexually harassed two young female staffers and created a hostile work environment.

The vote passed 413 to 2. Only Edwards and Rep. Ralph Norman (R., S.C.) voted against censure.

Censure is a public rebuke and is the most serious statement of disapproval short of expulsion. The vote came about a month after a House Ethics Committee investigation found there was "substantial evidence" Edwards violated House rules in his actions regarding the staffers, who later left his office, and recommended he be censured.

"I'm sorry that my actions, my judgment, or the way that I expressed a friendship ever put either of you in an uncomfortable position," Edwards said in a floor speech Tuesday, referring to the staffers. He also apologized to his wife for actions that subjected her to scrutiny and embarrassment. Still, he said, "regret is not an admission of sexual harassment" and he urged colleagues to vote against the measure.

After the vote, Edwards stood in the well of the House floor as Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) read out the finding of censure. Censures were once rare but have become commonly used in recent years as a partisan tool. Tuesday's vote marked a rare bipartisan rebuke, amid growing concern in Congress about sexual misconduct.

Edwards spent the August recess lobbying fellow lawmakers to vote no. Last week, he sent a 22-page letter to his colleagues arguing that the findings of the ethics report were unsubstantiated. In the letter, he said he regretted that his behavior created discomfort but warned against equating gifts, compliments and poetry with sexual misconduct.

Rep. Michael Guest (R., Miss.), who chairs the Ethics Committee, said that the committee's findings contradicted many of the points Edwards raised in his letter.

"We deliberated carefully over those allegations, and so I would say I disagree with the way or the light in which Mr. Edwards paints his actions," Guest said.

"It's an unfortunate situation, and it's disappointing. I'm sure he's disappointed in himself," said Rep. Jodey Arrington (R., Texas). Arrington serves with Edwards on the budget committee and said he considers the lawmaker a friend.

Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D., N.M.), who chairs the Democratic Women's Caucus, argued a censure vote wasn't a strong enough sanction. "These women lost their jobs because of Mr. Edwards's behavior. He should lose his," she said.

The Democratic Women's Caucus said it is planning a legislative package with the Republican Women's Caucus to address sexual misconduct in Congress. They are considering language that bans relationships between lawmakers and staff, strengthens whistleblower protection, expands training and updates the misconduct reporting processes. The effort was earlier reported by Politico.

A series of House members have come under scrutiny for sexual misconduct this term, and several cases remain active. The Ethics Committee is investigating Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D., Calif.) over sexual-misconduct allegations and Rep. Max Miller (R., Ohio) over claims of domestic violence. Rep. Cory Mills (R., Fla.), who has been under investigation since 2025 for allegations including dating violence, lost his Aug. 18 Florida primary. All have denied wrongdoing.

In the Edwards case, the committee concluded he violated the chamber's conduct code through persistent unwanted advances toward two staffers that included "lavish" gifts, notes and poetry expressing affection, and invitations to intimate dinners and vacations. Gifts included jewelry over $1,000, designer purses, guns, shoes, a laptop, a cellphone, a KitchenAid mixer, a robotic vacuum, and vacations, the committee said.

One woman was 19 years old when she first worked in his state office-hired while still in college-and the other was in her early 20s.

The panel also found Edwards skipped votes to spend time with one staffer, and in one instance had roughly 30 types of ice cream delivered to a staffer's home.

The investigation found no evidence of sexual activity or explicit propositions, instead concluding that a "reasonable observer" would read Edwards's pattern of attention as romantic or sexual.

Edwards dropped his re-election bid after the ethics report came out. The district's GOP Executive Committee selected state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom to replace him in the competitive race for the 11th Congressional District, which covers most of the western part of the state. Balkcom will face farmer and small-business owner Democrat Jamie Ager in November.

Rep. Al Green (D., Texas) was the only other House member censured this Congress. The GOP-led vote against Green came after the lawmaker shouted at President Trump during his address to Congress in March 2025. That vote was 224-198.