In the immediate aftermath of the ouster, Santos stated “to hell” with Congress upon claiming he is no longer required to answer inquiries from any of the remaining members.
What happens now?
With Santos done, Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York must initiate a special election. This is required to fill the vacant seat for what would have been the remainder of the now-former lawmaker’s term. Hochul has ten days to do this.
Today’s vote to remove Santos from the House also means the GOP’s majority in the chamber just shrunk to only 221 representatives over the Democrats’ 213. Some House Republicans who opposed dismissing Santos therefore cited concerns about the impact his ouster would have on the party’s collective power.
Conversely, critics of the now-former lawmaker – Republicans and Democrats alike – support the House’s decision, believing that it was long overdue.
What’s next for George Santos? Right now, no one really knows. Regardless, it’s quite safe to assume he won’t be making a political comeback anytime soon.
