House Democrats are set to file a resolution aimed at formally censuring Rep. George Santos, a Republican from New York, for fabricating aspects of his background and misleading voters
during the 2022 elections. Rep. Ritchie Torres, a Democrat from New York, has drafted the censure resolution, which is expected to be filed on Monday. This move by House Democrats comes as they seek to hold Santos accountable for his actions.
Torres stated to the New York Times, "If you are a member of Congress who has informally condemned Mr. Santos, then you should have no trouble formally censuring him. He has disgraced the institution, and the institution should speak with one voice against his misconduct." The resolution, while facing slim chances of passing in the Republican-controlled House, serves as a means for Democrats to formally address Santos' behavior and put pressure on House Republicans to take a position on the issue.
In May, House Democrats attempted to force a vote to expel Santos. However, House Republicans evaded the vote by referring the resolution to the House Ethics Committee, avoiding a direct stance on Santos' conduct. The censure resolution now presents Democrats with a fresh opportunity to urge House Republicans, some of whom have already denounced Santos' actions and called for his resignation, to publicly declare their stance on the House floor.
Censure, a rare measure, involves publicly rebuking lawmakers for their actions and permanently recording the rebuke on their record. In June, House Republicans voted along party lines to censure Rep. Adam Schiff for his statements regarding former President Donald Trump's alleged connections to Russia. Democrats largely perceived this censure as a political maneuver rather than a genuine effort to address wrongdoing. In 2021, when Democrats controlled the House, they voted to censure Rep. Paul Gosar, a Republican from Arizona, for posting an edited anime video depicting violence against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and President Joe Biden.
The censure resolution against Santos specifically focuses on his falsehoods concerning his background. It highlights the following deceptive claims made by Santos:
-False statements about being Jewish and falsely asserting to be the grandson of Holocaust survivors.
-Misrepresenting the death of his mother as a result of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
-Fabricating his employment history, including false claims of working at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup.
-Misleading donors by claiming involvement in the production of a Spider-Man musical for Broadway.
While the chances of the censure resolution passing in the Republican-controlled House remain slim, Democrats hope to use this opportunity to shine a spotlight on Santos' deceptive conduct and elicit a clear position from House Republicans regarding his actions. Photo by U.S. House Office of Photography, Wikimedia commons.
