California Democratic Representative Robert Garcia formally initiated a resolution on the House floor on Tuesday, proposing the expulsion of George Santos, a Republican Representative from New York. Garcia stated his intention to challenge the privileges of the House, pushing for the expulsion of Santos.
The House Republicans have a two-day legislative window to schedule a vote on this issue. It would require a two-thirds majority for the resolution to pass. However, Kevin McCarthy, the House Speaker, has indicated his intention to refer the matter to the House Ethics Committee.
McCarthy suggested that an expedited review by the Ethics Committee could provide a conclusion regarding the actions of Santos. He emphasized that the committee, consisting of an equal number of Republicans and Democrats, could assess the situation more swiftly than waiting for Santos' court proceedings.
Asserting the seriousness of the indictment against Santos, McCarthy stressed the necessity of swift action. He underlined the importance of maintaining the principle of "innocent until proven guilty", but also expressed a reluctance to wait for court proceedings. His preference was for the House to act promptly and establish a process.
Santos, in response to the developments, reiterated his innocence, stating, "Whatever happens innocent until proven guilty." He disclosed that he was yet to see the resolution or discuss it with the leadership.
Santos was charged on May 10 with 13 criminal offenses, including seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds, and two counts of providing false information to the House of Representatives, as per federal prosecutors from the Eastern District of New York. He has pled not guilty to all charges, vowing to fight to prove his innocence.
Although the Republican leadership has not yet called for Santos' resignation, a dozen House Republicans have expressed that Santos should resign or be expelled. This group includes several Republican lawmakers from New York.
Last week, McCarthy expressed his lack of support for Santos' reelection bid. He stated that he would support a resignation recommendation from the House Ethics Committee.
Garcia clarified that his resolution aims to make Republicans' stance on Santos clear. He stressed the need for decisive action and insisted that Republicans must publicly demonstrate whether they support Santos, who he described as a "serial liar and a fraud."
Garcia has previously initiated a resolution to expel Santos during the current congressional session. However, the lack of action on the legislation has led him to offer a privileged motion to expedite a vote.
Garcia's hope is for Santos to resign voluntarily, but he stated that the Ethics Committee should have already addressed this issue. He criticized McCarthy for supporting Santos on various votes. Regarding the timeline and the probability of the resolution passing, Garcia deferred to McCarthy and the Republican leadership, expressing a desire to see Santos expelled.
