Democratic California Rep. Robert Garcia introduced a privileged resolution on Tuesday that would expel Republican New York Rep. George Santos from the House of Representatives.
“George Santos is a fraud and a liar, and he needs to be expelled by the House. News that federal prosecutors are filing 13 criminal charges against George Santos should have been the final straw for Kevin McCarthy, but he refuses to act. Republicans now have a chance to demonstrate to Americans that an admitted criminal should not serve in the House of Representatives,” Garcia said in a statement.
I’m starting the process of forcing a floor vote on our resolution to expel George Santos from the U.S. House of Representatives. Republicans will now have a chance to demonstrate to the American people that an admitted liar and criminal should not serve in Congress. pic.twitter.com/GLmskqnier
— Congressman Robert Garcia (@RepRobertGarcia) May 16, 2023
Forty-eight House Democrats signed onto Garcia’s resolution to expel Santos in February, when he initially introduced it. Under the rules of the chamber, the House must consider the resolution within two days of introduction. (RELATED: ‘Deceit, Lies, And Fabrication’: Long Island Republicans Urge Rep. George Santos To Resign)
Four House Republicans, New York Reps. Marc Molinaro, Anthony D’Esposito and Nick LaLota, and Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales, have called on Santos to be expelled. Many others have called on him to resign, and Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy has said he will not support Santos’ reelection.
Santos pleaded not guilty on May 10 to 13 federal charges, including seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds, and two counts of making materially false statements to the House of Representatives. He also signed an agreement with prosecutors in Brazil to avoid prosecution for a 2008 incident involving stolen checks.
Expulsion of a member requires a two-thirds vote in the House. No representative has been expelled since Ohio Rep. Jim Traficant, who was removed in 2002 after his conviction for demanding and accepting bribes.