Barbara Lee Voted To Expel, Unlike Senate Rivals

Supply: Xinhua Information Company / Getty

Sometimes it’s simply actually tough to not want Democrats have been as petty as Republicans. If solely they may, at the very least as soon as in a blue moon, mirror the infantile vindictiveness the GOP frequently dabbles in whereas wielding their votes and legislative pens. Maybe it will be simpler for them to oust opponents who’ve actually confirmed they should be ousted.

At this level, Donald Trump is low-hanging fruit. Democrats have been prepared to question him as a result of it wasn’t tough to search out authorized grounds to take action, and he’s at the moment drowning in authorized woes, not due to Democrats, however as a result of he lies almost as typically as he breathes and that sort of life will at all times ultimately meet up with you.

Talking of politicians who lied their method into excessive governmental positions—why the hell didn’t Home Democrats vote to expel the Republican who conned his method into Congress, Rep. George Santos?

On Wednesday, lawmakers voted on a decision led by Home Republicans to expel Santos, typically for being a whole embarrassment to the Republican occasion. (Which is sort of a pig shunning away a stray canine for being filthy, however no matter.) You learn that proper: Republicans led the cost to oust Santos, but it surely was Democrats who apparently thought it will be unethical to knock one in every of their opponents off the sport desk.

House Considers Rep. Santos Expulsion Resolution And Censures Against Reps. Greene And Tlaib

Rep. George Santos (R-NY) rides an elevator on the best way again to his workplace after debate on the Home ground on a decision to expel him from Congress, on the U.S. Capitol November 1, 2023, in Washington, D.C. | Supply: Drew Angerer / Getty

In response to CNN, the ultimate vote for the decision, which required a two-thirds majority to move, was 179 to 213 in favor of permitting Santos to stay in his seat. The dissenting voters included 31 Home Democrats who apparently felt the should be honest, balanced and non-partisan in a state of affairs the place Republicans undoubtedly would have taken benefit of to ship any Democratic lawmaker packing.

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-California), one of many Democrats who voted in favor of ousting Santos, who’s at the moment dealing with 23 felony prices associated to fraud, identification theft and falsification of information, made it clear on X that she is none too happy that her fellow occasion members performed softball with the demonstrable liar who padded his political resume with colleges he by no means attended, Wall Road jobs he by no means labored, charities he by no means based and far, way more.

“George Santos lied about every little thing—from 9/11 and the Holocaust to his personal identify,” Lee tweeted. “He defrauded voters, stole cash, and faces felony prices in two international locations. I voted to expel him from Congress right this moment.” Lee, who notably voted in opposition to authorizing struggle in Afghanistan, went on to personally name out Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) for voting to spare Santos and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) for a way they voted; or in Schiff’s case, didn’t vote.

In the meantime, Rep. Jeff Jackson (D-North Carolina) is defending his choice to not vote Santos out. Jackson wrote on Reddit that voting to oust Santos earlier than the ethics investigation into him was full would set a precedent that may very well be used in opposition to different lawmakers, specifically Democrats.

“The higher precedent is to expel members solely post-conviction or post-ethics investigation,” Jackson wrote. “That method you get at the very least some due course of – both inside or exterior – earlier than expulsion. That’s current precedent, at the very least as I perceive it. This vote was mainly asking us to vary precedent in a method that’s pointless (we will wait three weeks) and may very well be actually harmful within the arms of a future Congress.”

Look, maybe Jackson is right. He doesn’t sound unreasonable, in any case. Then again, the GOP’s persistent marketing campaign to question President Joe Biden for unspecified and/or convoluted causes, and the best way they’ve known as for investigations into Fani Willis and different regulation enforcement officers who’ve launched instances and indictments in opposition to Trump, are all indications that Republicans are already utilizing their legislative powers to play a political tit-for-tat recreation so as to thwart or outright get rid of their opponents on the opposite since of the aisle. If the Democrats would combat fireplace with fireplace, at the very least in Santos’ case, they’d be doing it for moral and sensible causes.

Certain, it’s commendable that Home Democrats would somewhat take the excessive street than stoop half as little as their Republican counterparts—however there are occasions when it’s laborious to not need them to go forward and stoop. Just a bit bit.