WASHINGTON — Rep. George Santos on Friday became just the sixth member of the U.S. House of Representatives to be ousted by colleagues.
Expulsion requires support from two-third of the House, a purposefully high bar, but a House Ethics Committee report released last month that accused Santos of breaking federal law proved decisive. The vote to expel was 311-114, easily clearing the two-thirds majority required.
It had been 21 years since anyone has been expelled from Congress.
Of the previous expulsions in the House, three were for disloyalty to the Union during the Civil War. The remaining two occurred after the lawmakers were convicted of crimes in federal court. Santos has made his case for remaining in office by appealing directly to lawmakers who worry they are setting a new precedent that could make expulsions more common.
“This will haunt them in the future,” Santos told lawmakers on Thursday evening as they debated his removal.
Santos’ expulsion narrows the GOP’s majority to 221-213 and Democrats will have a good opportunity to fill the vacancy. Shortly after the vote, Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, said she’s prepared to call a special election for the seat, likely in mid-to-late February under a timeframe set by state law.
How did Georgia representatives vote?
Georgia representatives that voted in favor
- Rick Allen - Republican
- Sanford Bishop - Democratic
- Earl "Buddy" Carter - Republican
- Drew Ferguson - Republican
- Henry "Hank" Johnson - Democratic
- Lucy McBath - Democratic
- Austin Scott - Republican
- David Scott - Democratic
Georgia representatives that voted against
- Andrew Clyde - Republican
- Mike Collins Republican
- Marjorie Taylor Greene - Republican
- Barry Loudermilk - Republican
- Richard McCormick - Republican
- Nikema Williams - Democratic