Santos faces another expulsion effort from House

WASHINGTON — House Democrats on Tuesday moved to force a vote this week on whether to expel Representative George Santos of New York from office, a strategic effort to prevent Republican leadership from slowing any bid to push one of their own out of office.

The effort, led by Representatives Robert Garcia of California and Dan Goldman of New York comes shortly after another resolution introduced this month by the Republican chair of the House Ethics Committee, following its scathing report that found “substantial evidence”

Santos had violated the law.

When the ethics chair, Representative Michael Guest of Mississippi, introduced his resolution on Nov. 17, he did so without attaching a timeline. Since then, Republicans have debated whether to shield or expel Santos, aware that either path could come with grave costs.

But the resolution from Democrats is privileged, meaning that Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, must address it within two days. Republicans could still move to table or postpone the vote, moves that would each require the support of a majority of the House. Those maneuvers would not rule out a vote on Guest’s resolution, however, if Republican leadership chooses to act on its own party’s motion to lessen the appearance of Democrats forcing the GOP’s hand.

Johnson refused to answer questions about Santos’ future as he entered the chamber Tuesday afternoon.

Santos has survived two expulsion efforts after numerous reports in The New York Times and other publications exposed his fabricated life story and federal prosecutors charged him with 23 felonies. Removing Santos from the House would requite a two-thirds supermajority.

Santos has pledged to remain in office as long as he is allowed. He called the ethics report a “smear” but has declined to offer any details that would support his claims.

For a moment Monday, however, it appeared as if Santos might have shifted his stance.

Johnson told reporters in Florida that he had spoken at length with Santos “about his options,” comments that suggested Santos might spare the House a difficult vote by resigning.

But Santos, who has repeatedly said he would not resign, clarified in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he had no intention of stepping down.