Santos vows to remain ‘valuable voice’ in Congress after failed vote to remove him

Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) on Thursday vowed to be a “valuable voice” in Congress and to continue fighting for his constituents after a vote to expel him failed on the House floor Wednesday evening. 

“I continue to fight for the principles and values that the people of New York’s 3rd District hold dear,” Santos said in a statement. 

“Despite facing opposition and calls for my expulsion, I remain steadfast in my commitment to serving my constituents and upholding conservative ideals. With my unwavering dedication to fiscal responsibility, strong national defense, and protecting our constitutional rights, I will remain a valuable voice in Congress,” he continued. 

“My continued presence ensures that the concerns and needs of New York’s 3rd Congressional District are effectively represented.”

Santos’s statement comes after 31 Democrats joined 182 Republicans in voting to keep Santos in the House, killing an effort led by New York Republicans to oust a fellow GOP member of the New York congressional delegation.

The vote marks the second such failed attempt to remove the congressman, who faces 23 federal charges, which he has pleaded not guilty to.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who was among the Democrats who voted against the ouster, said expelling Santos would have set a “terrible precedent” because the New York rep has not been found guilty of criminal offenses or ethical violations.

In May, Santos was charged with 13 counts of allegedly misleading donors, lying on House financial disclosures and fraudulently receiving unemployment benefits. Last month, a superseding indictment was filed against him, adding 10 charges related to fraudulently inflating his campaign finance reports and charging donors’ credit cards without their authorization. 

The New York GOP congressional delegation reversed their position on Santos’s expulsion after the superseding indictment was revealed and pushed for a floor vote on the expulsion resolution.

When Democrats brought the first expulsion resolution against the New York congressman, all GOP members voted against the measure. 

A two-thirds threshold in the House is required to expel a member from the chamber. The vote on Wednesday was 213-179-19 against the resolution.