Republican Leaders Not Pressuring Members on Expelling Rep. George Santos
Washington — Republican leaders are not pressuring their members to vote one way or the other on expelling embattled GOP Rep. George Santos, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson, who said Wednesday that he has some "reservations" about ousting the New York Republican.
"We're going to allow people to vote their conscience," Johnson said during the Republican leadership's weekly news conference. "I think it's the only appropriate thing we can do. We've not whipped the vote, and we wouldn't. I trust that people will make that decision thoughtfully and in good faith."
Johnson said the House would vote on a resolution to expel Santos on Thursday, the deadline for the lower chamber to act on two measures calling for his ouster.
The Santos Expulsion Resolutions
On Tuesday, Rep. Robert Garcia of California introduced a "privileged" resolution to expel Santos after earlier this month said there was "substantial evidence" that he repeatedly broke the law.
Later in the day, Republican Rep. Anthony D'Esposito of New York made a move to force a vote on a separate resolution by giving it privileged status. This resolution had been introduced by Republican Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi before the Thanksgiving break.
According to Johnson, the GOP conference held a discussion on the vote Wednesday morning, and there were differing opinions expressed on both sides.
According to a Louisiana Republican, there are arguments both for and against the expulsion of Santos. Some believe that the rule of law should be upheld and that someone should be convicted in a criminal court before facing this penalty. Others argue that upholding the rule of law requires taking action now, as Santos is alleged to have committed infractions against the House itself. However, the Republican expressed reservations about setting a precedent for expulsion.
Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, claimed that Republicans have allowed Santos to remain in Congress because they need his vote. He suggested that if Republicans had a larger majority, they would not care about Santos' vote.
Santos has refused calls for his resignation, stating that doing so would be an admission of guilt without due process. He questioned whether the presumption of innocence still applies.
