Rep. George Santos easily survived a vote to expel him from the House on Wednesday night as most Republicans opted to withhold punishment while both his criminal trial and a House Ethics Committee investigation proceed. A resolution to censure Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib over her criticism of Israel also was defeated. The effort to kick Santos out was led by his fellow New York Republicans, who are eager to distance themselves from a colleague infamous for fabricating his life story and accused of stealing from donors, lying to Congress, and receiving unemployment benefits he did not deserve, the AP reports.
But the resolution failed to gain the required two-thirds vote. Supporters could not even gain a simple majority, with the vast majority of Republicans and more than 30 Democrats voting against expelling Santos. The final vote was 179 for expulsion and 213 against. Nineteen members voted present, per CBS News. Before the vote, Santos said on the House floor that the effort to expel him was politically motivated and that his removal from office would set a "dangerous precedent." The first-term lawmaker added: "I stand firmly in my innocence."
House Republicans helped Democrats block a censure of Tlaib, per the Hill, on a 222 to 186 vote. The effort against her was led by GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. After her measure was rejected, Democrats withdrew their resolution to censure Greene, ABC News reports. Although the Republicans who saved Tlaib from censure didn't say why, members of both parties were unhappy with the accusations and rhetoric in Greene's resolution. (More George Santos stories.)
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