Santos Whines As Dems Hold Presser On Expulsion

The Associated Press reports:

Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., introduced a resolution in February to expel Santos, something the House has only done twice in recent decades and requires the approval of a two-thirds majority. He brought the measure Tuesday to the House floor under a process that gives lawmakers until Thursday to dispense with it.

Republicans could vote to table the effort. They could also refer it to the House Ethics Committee for consideration, which House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., indicated was his preferred route. Both efforts require a majority vote. Republicans could also just allow the House to vote on Garcia’s expulsion resolution, but that is unlikely.

CNN reports:

McCarthy plans to refer the resolution to the ethics panel, which would require a majority of the House to approve. That would give Republicans a chance to sidestep weighing in directly on whether Santos should be expelled from Congress.

But McCarthy indicated that the full House could act to punish or even expel Santos depending on what the committee finds.

“I think we can look at this very quickly and come to a conclusion on what George Santos did and did not do through ethics, a safe bipartisan committee,” McCarthy told reporters. He added, “I would like the Ethics Committee to move rapidly on this.”

Rep Ritchie Torres (D-NY) says House Ethics Cmte “should not be a graveyard where accountability goes to die”

And he attempts to raise pressure on New York US House Republicans, some of whom have called on Santos to resign pic.twitter.com/a15i2qOG2T

— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) May 17, 2023