On the clock: House Democrats file resolution to expedite Santos expulsion vote

A pair of House Democrats filed a privileged resolution to expel Rep. George Santos (R-NY) from Congress, ramping up pressure on their GOP colleagues and setting the stage for a possible shake-up in the ranks of the lower chamber.

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) introduced the motion on Tuesday alongside Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), building on efforts by Republican lawmakers to oust Santos after a House Ethics Committee report released earlier this month detailed “substantial evidence” that the freshman engaged in unlawful conduct. The privileged resolution expedites those efforts by requiring House leadership to bring the motion to the floor within two legislative days, teeing up a vote sometime before Thursday at the latest.

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“The time has finally come to remove George Santos from Congress. If we’re going to restore faith in government, we must start with restoring integrity in the U.S. House of Representatives. It is essential for the American people to have Representatives they can trust and who don’t build their careers on deceit and falsehoods. We have once again forced an expulsion vote on the House floor because enough is enough,” said Garcia.

Garcia was the first lawmaker to submit an expulsion resolution against Santos earlier this year after the freshman incumbent admitted to fabricating several details about his personal life and professional background while running for Congress. However, Republicans punted that effort to the Ethics Committee for an investigation as a way to avoid voting on the matter before Santos was found guilty or not guilty of the ethical violations.

(Graeme Jennings / Washington Examiner)

Since then, Santos has been charged on 23 counts via two federal indictments, prompting his fellow New York Republicans to file their own expulsion resolution late last month. That effort fell flat after it failed to garner two-thirds support in the House, with several Republicans and a handful of Democrats vowing to oppose the measure until the Ethics Committee released its findings.

Now, Santos faces his third expulsion attempt after the committee published its long-awaited report accusing Santos of knowingly violating the law while running for Congress last year and misusing campaign funds for personal use. Committee Chairman Michael Guest (R-MS) then filed a resolution to oust Santos shortly after its publication.

However, the motion did not contain a specific timeline on which it must be acted upon, prompting Democrats to push for a privileged resolution to oust Santos as soon as the House returned from its holiday recess. The motion is the same resolution Garcia filed in February, with the language remaining the same.

(Graeme Jennings / Washington Examiner)

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If Santos is removed, that brings the House GOP’s four-seat majority down to just three — setting the stage for a special election in New York to finish out his term in a district that leans likely Democratic. Santos has already conceded defeat, claiming he’ll be ousted from his seat simply because he’s disliked among his colleagues.

Santos has denied all wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to his indictment charges in New York. However, he announced he would not run for reelection to his New York seat, but left the door open for a future run in a different seat.

It’s not yet clear when the House will bring the legislation to the floor for a vote, or whether GOP leaders will push to vote on Guest’s motion instead.