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Speaker Mike Johnson said he has precedent-setting reservations about expelling embattled Rep. George Santos from the House.
Democratic and Republican lawmakers forced votes on two bills designed to expel Mr. Santos by Thursday. Mr. Johnson urged lawmakers to “vote with their conscience.”
“I, personally, have real reservations about doing this,” Mr. Johnson said. “I’m concerned about a precedent that may be set for that. So everybody’s working through that and we’ll see how they vote tomorrow.”
Mr. Johnson, Louisiana Republican, said that during a closed-door GOP meeting Tuesday, lawmakers made the case for and against ousting the New Yorker.
Some argued that Mr. Santos has not been convicted of a crime and should be allowed to go through due process for his 23 federal charges, which include wire fraud, theft of public funds and money laundering.
That sentiment has been echoed by a handful of conservatives, including Rep. Clay Higgins, Louisiana Republican.
“Since the Civil War, only 2 Members of Congress have been expelled, and both had been convicted in court of Federal crimes. That’s the standard, and the House of Representatives should not deviate from that standard,” Mr. Higgins wrote in a letter to his GOP colleagues.
Others argued that upholding the law and precedent means that booting Mr. Santos is the most viable option, especially after the release of a damning ethics report that suggested the lawmaker committed fraud beyond what was outlined in his litany of federal charges.
Expulsion requires a two-thirds majority vote. Dozens of lawmakers have flipped their position after previously voting to save Mr. Santos, dramatically increasing the likelihood he will be ejected.
Booting Mr. Santos also would gouge into the thin Republican majority, which stood at 222 seats or a five-vote majority after Rep. Celeste Maloy of Utah was sworn in Tuesday night.
If Mr. Santos is expelled, the GOP majority would fall back to four seats. Republican Rep. Bill Johnson of Ohio has said he will leave Congress soon to accept a new job as a college president, which would then lower the GOP’s majority to just three seats.
The thin majority has vexed House Republican leaders all year, with infighting blocking the passage of spending bills and enabling a small band of rebels to oust Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker.
Mr. Santos on Tuesday remained steadfast in his promise to not resign after the second expulsion resolution was forced to a vote.
“This is a half-baked process, and it deserves no respect because it is an affront to democracy,” Mr. Santos said.
• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washingtontimes.com.
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