House of Representatives to Vote on Expelling George Santos from Congress Amid Growing Outrage
Following federal charges and a scathing House Ethics Committee report, momentum is quickly building among House lawmakers to oust Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., with a vote on his expulsion expected to occur as early as Wednesday afternoon – an extraordinary move for the lower chamber.
Santos, who has been the subject of pervasive controversy, has been all but resigned to his fate as support for expulsion escalates from both sides of the aisle. Referring to the impending vote, the Long Island Republican stated he will accept his expulsion and wear the judgment as a badge of honor.
The growing support for expulsion of Santos manifested in the filing of a privileged resolution by two House Democrats, Robert Garcia of California and Dan Goldman of New York, on Tuesday. This move ensures that members will have to make a decision on whether to remove Santos from Congress within two legislative days.
The decision to pursue Santos’ ouster strengthened after the House Ethics Committee released a 56-page report that revealed substantial evidence of alleged federal law violations and campaign funds misuse by Santos. Among various findings, the report accused Santos of misappropriating campaign funds for personal use, including lavish purchases from high-end retailers.
Santos, who has faced previous expulsion attempts, has agreed to remain in office until he is expelled or his term expires, daring his opponents to proceed with the expulsion vote. Efforts to remove Santos from Congress are now being led by House Speaker Mike Johnson and is supported by a majority of House members.
Bipartisan support to expel Santos makes it a rare two-thirds vote requirement, and if successful, Santos would become the first member in recent years to be removed from Congress without a criminal conviction. Despite his plea for due process, it seems that his expulsion is imminent.
A 15-foot balloon of Rep. George Santos displayed near the United States Capitol on Tuesday shows growing pressure for his expulsion, as the embattled Republican faces the prospect of being removed from Congress.
