WATERLOO – The recent altercation between controversial freshman Rep. George Santos and Utah Sen. Mitt Romney was only a small portion of the political fallout the House member is currently experiencing.
Santos is facing a barrage of inquiries regarding his campaign financing at the state and federal levels, a House Ethics complaint, and calls for his resignation from members of both parties after confessing to lying about his personal life and credentials.
Busloads of his supporters who were calling for his removal traveled to Washington on Tuesday, amplifying those chants this week. Additionally, House Democrats presented a motion on Thursday to oust him from Congress, a rarely utilized practice in the past.
But despite fresh calls for his ouster, Santos said to the Associated Press on Thursday that he will not step down.
Santos referred to his Democratic colleagues’ resolution as “their prerogative.” “They are free to do as they choose. They want to quiet the 142,000 individuals who voted to bring me here to stop the folks who enjoy talking about silencing voters.
His fellow Republican lawmakers, though, have not remained silent. In actuality, some have been frank. These are their words:
Romney refers to Santos as “a sick dog”
Romney told Santos he didn’t belong in Congress as he made his way to the Capitol for Biden’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday night.
Given the inquiries he was receiving, Romney thought Santos’ decision to take a seat in the aisle was bold and shameless.
After the address, Romney told reporters, “I didn’t imagine that he’d be standing there attempting to shake hands with every senator and the president of the United States.” “Instead of parading in front of the president and guests entering the room, he should be seated in the back row and keeping silent.”
Santos has lied about a variety of things, including his ancestry, a Wall Street resume that never existed, his college graduation, and his status as a volleyball player.
Romney referred to the man as “a sick puppy.”
Romney stated, “They’re going to go through the process and hopefully get him out. He shouldn’t be in Congress.” But if he felt any shame at all, he wouldn’t be there, and he shouldn’t be there.
Republican congressman called Santos “a joke”
Rep. Dusty Johnson, a Republican from South Dakota and a crucial supporter of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, has joined the growing number of his party men who think the New York freshman lawmaker doesn’t belong in Congress.
Johnson told the Associated Press on Thursday that George Santos “is a joke and shouldn’t be in Congress.”
However, Johnson had reservations about a Democratic motion to oust Santos.
He declared that “voters get to choose who to hire and fire.” “I think we want to tread cautiously before we start imposing a veto over the will of the voters,” said the speaker.
At a dinner with Congress, Mace made fun of Santos
In her statement at the annual Congressional Dinner on Wednesday night, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., made a few digs at Santos.
Although organizers wanted “someone who could tell a joke, not be one,” Mace stated in one of her opening lines, “I know George Santos hoped to deliver tonight’s keynote.”
Republican congressman refers to Santos as “a psychopath”
On CNN on Wednesday morning, fellow New York Republican Rep. Nick LaLota referred to Santos as “a sociopath.”
The House Republicans are now “distracted and embarrassed” by it, he claimed.
Come on Santos, you “evil person” you are
In a recent CNN interview, Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, who serves as the head of the influential House Oversight and Accountability Committee, called Santos “a horrible guy.”
“Santos is, in my opinion, being properly examined. He can decide whether or not to step down. I didn’t make that choice. I don’t like how he got into Congress, though, and I haven’t even introduced myself to him “said Comer.
NY GOP officials urge for Santos to be removed because he is “not normal” and “not welcome.”
Republicans in Nassau County, New York, demanded last month that their congressman be expelled due to his lying.
County Executive Bruce Blakeman declared, “He’s not a typical person. He needs to seek assistance.
Republican Party Chairman for the Nassau Committee Joseph Cairo declared of the county’s Republican headquarters: “He’s not welcome here.” He is not one of our representatives in Congress, we say.
McCarthy says, “I have new questions,” and separates himself from Santos
McCarthy declared at the outset of the 118th Congress that any decision regarding the removal of Santos should be made by the people.
However, he began to distance himself from the troubled congressman earlier this month after acknowledging that his decision to resign from House committees was the appropriate one.
McCarthy told reporters, “I think Santos shouldn’t be on committees right now until he clears up these issues.
McCarthy responded, “I had some new questions,” when asked whether it was a good idea for Santos to resign weeks after being appointed to committee positions. The speaker made no mention of his inquiries.
Going over ethics, in my opinion, will address some other questions, McCarthy added. “I believe it would be best for him not to serve on committees until he gets through that.”
Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican from Texas, told the Associated Press that the people in his district should continue to have the authority to remove Santos from office. “We hold elections every two years for a purpose.”
Dems want to remove George Santos from office, saying it’s time for him to go
Democrats, led by Rep. Robert Garcia of California, attempted to remove Santos from Congress on Thursday. This is an unusual procedure that needs a two-thirds majority in the House.
Santos was sent to the House Ethics Committee by Garcia, who termed him a liar and a fake.
Garcia remarked, “It’s time for him to leave. We gave him plenty of time to quit, but he decided against doing so.
Rep. Dan Goldman, D-New York, accused Santos of deceiving his constituents and dubbed the lawmaker a “conman.” Republicans ought to have demanded Santos’ resignation, according to him.
In the words of Goldman, “We as Democrats would never accept this within our party if there was a Democrat who lied up and down as George Santos did. It’s time for the Republican party to do the right thing.”
Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of the House Democrats, stated on Thursday morning that the resolution “speaks for itself.”
He claimed that George Santos was a blatant fake who defrauded the American people while receiving support from the hardline MAGA Republican elite, who are still praising him in the US Congress.
