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canyonwalkerHow do you solve a problem like Maria? asks one of the memorable songs from the classic movie, The Sound of Music. Voters in Long Island, New York, and many politicians nationwide might be asking themselves right now, How do you solve a problem like George Santos?— referring to the case of Rep. George Santos who was elected to Congress on an autobiography riddled with lies.
It's turning out that almost nothing salient Santos told voters about himself is true... other than being a Republican. Of course, for some that's enough. There are a lot of "Yellow dog Republicans" out there, people who'd vote for a yellow (sick or cowardly) dog, as long as it was a Republican, before they'd cast a ballot for anyone (or anything) Democratic.
For other, though— for people who care about even a shred of honesty in our elected representatives— what are the options to remove Santos from office? Sadly they're almost nil:
Meanwhile, every day it seems that new lies Santos told about himself and his qualifications for office are exposed. It seems unlikely he's going to go anywhere for the next 2 years, though. He's a pathological liar, but now he's our pathological liar.
It's turning out that almost nothing salient Santos told voters about himself is true... other than being a Republican. Of course, for some that's enough. There are a lot of "Yellow dog Republicans" out there, people who'd vote for a yellow (sick or cowardly) dog, as long as it was a Republican, before they'd cast a ballot for anyone (or anything) Democratic.
For other, though— for people who care about even a shred of honesty in our elected representatives— what are the options to remove Santos from office? Sadly they're almost nil:
- Santos could resign. This is the fastest and simplest way to get someone better into office. ...Okay, yes, I can hear your laughter from here. There's nearly no way he's going to resign. Constant lying has become a hallmark of Republican Party for the past several years, dating back to the birther conspiracy against President Obama up through more recent canards such as the Big Lie of the 2020 election and Covid denialism.
- A recall election is not possible. While many states provide a way for voters to recall a local or state politician, there's no provision for recalling a member of Congress. If a state tried to enact one, it would like be found unconstitutional.
- The House could vote to expel Santos. This requires a 2/3 super-majority vote. It's unlikely that more than a few Republicans would join the Democratic minority in voting for such a thing. While many Republicans have already started paying lip service to how bad the things that Santos has done are, when it comes time to act (or even talk about acting) they'll change the subject and slink away.
- Short of actually expelling him, the House Ethics Committee could recommend his expulsion. Such recommendations in the past have prompted a few members of Congress to choose to resign, ahead of an actual expulsion vote. The new Republican majority, though, actually gutted the Ethics Committee last week in the new rules package it passed as one of its first orders of business. They removed 3 of the 4 Democrat committee members in the name of "term limits" and enacted absurd limits on hiring staff that will leave the committee hamstrung and toothless for at least the next 2 years.
Meanwhile, every day it seems that new lies Santos told about himself and his qualifications for office are exposed. It seems unlikely he's going to go anywhere for the next 2 years, though. He's a pathological liar, but now he's our pathological liar.
