In a historic vote, for only the sixth time in history, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to expel one of its own members, U.S. Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), for alleged ethical and campaign finance violations.
Santos, the first out gay Republican elected to Congress as a non-incumbent, had predicted his ouster despite mounting a vigorous defense of himself during debate on the floor of the House.
Santos, who faces 23 federal criminal charges, has claimed that the House Ethics Committee rushed its investigation into allegations against him, with the intent of reaching a predetermined conclusion that he was guilty of wrongdoing.
Despite concerns from some lawmakers over the precedent that voting to expel a member who has not yet been convicted might set, and opposition from Republican House leadership, 105 Republicans — or almost half the caucus — voted with 206 Democrats to remove Santos from office.
The Republican members voting for expulsion were:
Robert Aderholt, Alabama (North-Central Alabama)
Rick Allen, Georgia (Augusta, Eastern Georgia)
Mark Amodei, Nevada (Reno, Northern Nevada)
Kelly Armstrong, North Dakota
Troy Balderson, Ohio (Central Ohio)
Andy Barr, Kentucky (Lexington, Central Kentucky)
Cliff Bentz, Oregon (Southern and Eastern Oregon)
Jack Bergman, Michigan (Upper Peninsula)
Don Bacon, Nebraska (Metro Omaha)
Stephanie Bice, Oklahoma (Oklahoma City Metro)
Ken Buck, Colorado (Eastern Plains)
Larry Bucshon, Indiana (Terre Haute, Evansville)
Michael Burgess, Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth exurbs)
Ken Calvert, California (Riverside, Palm Springs)
Mike Carey, Ohio (Columbus Metro, Western Ohio)
Buddy Carter, Georgia (Savannah, Costal Georgia)
Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Oregon (Bend, Willamette Valley)
Juan Ciscomani, Arizona (Tucson, Southeast Arizona)
Tom Cole, Oklahoma (Southwestern Oklahoma)
James Comer, Kentucky (Western Kentucky)
Dan Crenshaw, Texas (Suburban Houston)
John Curtis, Utah (Eastern Utah)
Anthony D’Esposito, New York (Long Island)
Monica De La Cruz, Texas (Rio Grande Valley, South Texas)
Mario Diaz-Balart, Florida (Miami-Dade County, Southwestern Florida)
Reps. Nikema Williams (Ga.) and Bobby Scott (Va.) voted against expelling the congressman, while Reps. Jonathan Jackson (Ill.) and Al Green (Texas) voted “present.”
George Santos, one of the few politicians to ever be expelled from Congress, has been sentenced to 87 months in prison for aggravated identity theft and wire fraud charges stemming from an alleged misuse of campaign donations from his successful 2022 race.
On April 25, Senior Judge Joanna Seybert, of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, handed down the more than 7-year sentence against the gay former congressman from New York, ordering that he surrender to federal authorities by July 25.
The 36-year-old Republican was sobbing as the sentence was issued, noting in a brief statement that he had "betrayed the confidence entrusted in me" by his political supporters and allies.
Chris Pappas, one of Congress's few out LGBTQ members, has announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat that will be open following three-term U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen's announcement that she will retire at the end of her current term in 2026.
"I'm running for Senate because our economy, our democracy, and our way of life are on the line, and New Hampshire deserves a Senator who is grounded in the people, places, and values of this state," Pappas said in a statement.
Taking a dig at President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, a Trump advisor and the unofficial head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Pappas added: "You can count on me to lead the charge to confront this administration, self-dealing billionaires, and extreme politicians who threaten our future and our ability to get things done for New Hampshire."
A proposed bill in Arkansas would criminalize anyone who is believed to have supported the social transition of transgender youth.
The bill's prohibitions are so broad, in fact, that it could lead to the prosecution of hairdressers who give youth haircuts that don't conform to stereotypical gender norms.
Under the Vulnerable Youth Protection Act, any person found to have affirmed the gender identity of a minor that does not match the minor's assigned sex at birth could be sued by that minor or their parents for at least $10,000, plus compensatory damages and attorney's fees, for up to 20 years afterward.
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