In a new development, FOX News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram has reported on the growing findings surrounding the GOP congressman’s use of campaign funds. This has sparked a debate within the House Republican leadership on how to handle the efforts to expel Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) this week. While some Republicans are hesitant to vote for expulsion without a court conviction, others see this as an opportunity for the party to take a stand against unethical behavior.
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) has reintroduced a privileged resolution to expel Santos, essentially challenging the GOP to either vote in favor of expulsion or appear to protect their fellow Republican. The resolution cites Article I, Section 5, Clause 2 of the Constitution of the United States and straightforwardly states that Santos should be expelled from the House of Representatives. This privileged resolution puts pressure on the House to consider it by Thursday at the latest.
Meanwhile, Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest (R-Miss.) has also introduced a resolution calling for Santos’ expulsion, but it is not privileged. This means that the House is not compelled to bring up Guest’s measure right away, and the House GOP leadership has not scheduled any action on it. This situation has created a dilemma for GOP members, as the Garcia gambit may overshadow Guest’s resolution and force a decision sooner than expected.
The question now arises: Will George Santos survive this latest move to oust him from the House? Previously, many Republicans were unwilling to expel Santos without an Ethics Committee report. However, the scathing report produced by the committee before Thanksgiving has swayed more members in favor of expulsion. It is worth noting that Santos has not been convicted in a court of law, and some Republicans argue against expelling him without this conviction, concerned about the precedent it would set.
Furthermore, there is increasing concern among Republicans about their dwindling majority if Santos were to be expelled. Democrats, on the other hand, are eager to see Republicans struggle with another expulsion vote, as they have already killed two resolutions of this nature this year. This political maneuvering adds to the complexity of the situation.
Possible outcomes include Republicans tabling or killing the expulsion resolution, thus avoiding a direct expulsion vote. However, Democrats would seize on this as an attempt by Republicans to protect Santos. On the other hand, if the House votes to expel Santos, Democrats would claim credit for taking action while accusing the House Republican leadership of lacking moral courage. The worst-case scenario for Republicans would be a failed expulsion vote, which is a rarity due to the high threshold of a two-thirds majority required for expulsion. Such a failure would be seen as a GOP effort to protect Santos by Democrats.
It is important to note that expulsion from the House is a significant step, as it has only happened five times in history, with three cases related to siding with the Confederacy and the other two involving criminal convictions. The bar for expulsion is high, with a two-thirds majority of 290 votes required if all 435 House members cast ballots. Failed expulsion votes are even rarer, with only three instances in history.
As the situation unfolds, House Republicans find themselves in a challenging position, weighing the potential political consequences of their decisions. The debate surrounding Rep. Santos’ expulsion highlights the deep divisions within the Republican Party and sets the stage for a contentious showdown in the coming days.
Chad Pergram, FOX News’ senior congressional correspondent, continues to closely follow developments in this story. Stay tuned for the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail and exclusive interviews.
