Santos steps down from committee assignments

Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) is stepping down from his committee assignments, he informed House GOP colleagues on Tuesday in a conference meeting.

The representative had faced a whirlwind of criticism over numerous fabrications and misrepresentations of his resume and personal history, as well as questions about his personal and campaign finances.

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said that Santos informed the conference he would recuse himself from committees “temporarily” until “things get settled.”

One source told The Hill that Santos called himself a “distraction.”

“And then he asked that we all support him when everything settles down for him to serve on committees,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) told reporters after the meeting.

Rep. George Santos called himself a “distraction” in stepping down from committee assignments, according to a source. (Greg Nash)

The House GOP Steering Committee, the panel of Republican leaders who assign committees, had assigned Santos to the Small Business Committee and the Science, Space and Technology Committee earlier this month. 

Santos declined to comment Tuesday morning, telling reporters that “what happens in conference stays in conference.”

Santos’s move comes after he met with Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Monday.

“I met with George Santos yesterday and I think it was an appropriate decision that until he could clear everything up he’s off of committees right now,” McCarthy told reporters following the closed-door conference hearing.

“We had a discussion, he asked me if he could do that. So I think it was the appropriate decision,” McCarthy said.

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy said he met with Santos, who asked him if he could temporarily step down from committee assignments. (AP)

The Speaker said the spots initially set aside for Santos could be filled “on a temporary basis,” adding that Santos will “be able to get committees back” once he is cleared.

Pressed on what it would mean for Santos to have his name cleared, McCarthy pointed to an investigation by the House Ethics Committee.

“Going through Ethics on some of these concerns,” McCarthy said. “The voters have elected him, they’ll have a voice here in Congress, until he answers all those questions then he’ll, at that time he’ll be able to be seated on committees.”

Greene said Santos also told colleagues he was recusing himself amid the controversy surrounding him, and as Republican leadership works to shore up support to block Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) from the Foreign Affairs Committee, which has drawn some opposition within the conference.

Some Democrats have pointed to Santos being seated on committees as a point of criticism for the effort against Omar.

“Just all the controversy surrounding him and then while we’re working to remove Ilhan Omar from Foreign Affairs,” Greene said.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said Santos recused himself as Republicans look to shore up support for blocking Rep. Ilhan Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee. (Greg Nash)

Rep. Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), the GOP conference chair and highest-ranking New York Republican in the House, said Santos “voluntarily removed himself from committees as he goes through this process.”

Asked if she thinks he should resign, Stefanik again pointed to the “process” and the voters in New York’s 3rd Congressional District.

“This process is going to play itself out, I’ve already commented on this numerous times. And again, it’s going to play itself out. But ultimately voters are going to make that decision, whether it’s the primary election or the general election,” she said.

This story was updated at 10:47 a.m.