Burlington Standard

Washington D.C.- On May 16, 2023, Rep. Becca Balint joined Rep. Robert Garcia (CA-42) and Rep. Eric Sorensen (Il-17) in introducing a resolution to expel George Santos from Congress. This resolution would force the full House to vote on the resolution to expel, potentially leading to the expulsion of Santos. Bill text can be found here. 

“Democracies don’t die overnight; they erode slowly as we degrade our ethical standards and turn away from our values. The Republican party’s defense of this proven liar who’s been indicted on 13 criminal charges is sign of the deteriorating health of our government. Americans want to have faith in our democracy, but with trust in government at an all-time low it’s critical we take action to restore that trust. Now, we’re calling on Members of conscience to stand up for truth and finally expel George Santos,” said Congresswoman Balint.   

“This day, I began a process to force a vote to expel George Santos from the House of Representatives once and for all. News that federal prosecutors are filing 13 criminal charges against George Santos should have been the final straw for Kevin McCarthy- but clearly, he refuses to act,” said Congressman Garcia. “Speaker McCarthy cannot stay silent as an indicted liar remains in his caucus with access to classified materials, Republicans now have a chance to demonstrate to Americans that no serial liar and criminal can serve in the House of Representatives.” 

“I ran for Congress as a known and trusted voice for the people in Central and Northwestern Illinois. Our neighbors should expect that they can trust their elected representatives to serve them and not their personal interests. Anyone who has failed to maintain that level of trust is a stain on the House’s credibility. To protect this institution, it is important we act,” said Congressman Eric Sorensen 

In December of 2022, a report by Grace Ashford and Michael Gold of the of New York Times uncovered that George Santos lied about his qualifications and finances. In May of 2023 George Santos was charged with 13 federal charges: seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds, and two counts of making materially false statements to the House of Representatives. Santos has also falsely claimed to have lost four employees in the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting and his mother to 9/11. Santos also lied about his faith and his family’s connection to the Holocaust. Per Article I, Section 5, Clause 2 of the Constitution, this resolution would require a 2/3 vote of the House to expel George Santos. 

Original source can be found here.