On Tuesday, Rep. George Santos (R-NY) said he would temporarily step down from his committee assignments amid calls for his resignation.
Why it matters: The retreat marked the first concession by the New York Republican, who has admitted to making up some parts of his curriculum vitae and faced multiple investigations.
What’s happening: In his statement, Santos said he would temporarily recuse himself from the House Small Business Committee and the Science, Space and Technology Committee until “he was clear.”
The big picture: Santos’s decision was more likely to be linked to Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s recent efforts to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Observers noted that Santos’s decision appeared intended to protect Republicans from hypocrisy before they attempt to oust Omar from a committee seat.
On Thursday, House Republicans voted to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from the Foreign Affairs Committee over her past criticism of Israel, which is condemned as antisemitic.
Why it matters: The ouster was seen as Republican revenge. In the last Democratic-led House, Democrats ousted Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ) of their committee assignments for incendiary tweets and violent comments against Democrats.
What’s happening: In a vote along party lines, the House stripped Omar, who is Black and one of the first two Muslim women in Congress, of her assignment in the Foreign Affairs committee.
- The resolution cited numerous comments Omar made between 2019 and 2021 about Israel and pro-Israel groups that have been slammed as antisemitic by lawmakers on both sides.
- While Democrats, including many Jewish lawmakers, stood with Omar, the GOP argued that Omar needs to be “held accountable for her words.”
Opinions: Observers noted that McCarthy’s move to compel the ouster of Omar, which some of his rank-and-file members opposed, revealed his willingness to gain favor with the hard-right Republican base, who were once against his speakership, in the early days as Speaker.
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