How many members of Congress have been expelled?
Members Who Have Been Expelled From the House of Representatives
Members Who Have Faced a vote on Expulsion From the Senate
Critical Analysis
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, and your knowledge of American government and politics:
The House of Representatives voted Wednesday night on whether to expel Representative George Santos who is facing a slew of federal criminal charges related to fraudulent financial schemes, after fellow Republicans from his home state of New York pushed a resolution to oust him. He would become the first representative since the Civil War to be removed from office without a criminal conviction, and only the sixth member of the House to be expelled in the body’s history. Who was the last House member to be expelled?
Article I, section 5 of the United States Constitution provides that "Each House [of Congress] may determine the Rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member." How many Senators have been expelled?
What has been the main reason for expulsions from Congress?
Based upon your knowledge of the structure and terms of members of the U.S. Congress, why do you think so many more Senators have been expelled than House members?
Representative Santos, 35, was first indicted in May on 13 counts covering wire fraud, unlawful monetary transactions, stealing public funds and lying on financial disclosures. Last month, federal prosecutors added 10 new charges, accusing Mr. Santos of reporting a fraudulent $500,000 personal loan to his campaign and stealing the identities and credit card information of campaign donors. Would you vote to expel George Santos from the U.S. House of Representatives?
The sternest form of punishment that the House has imposed on its Members is expulsion. The Constitution specifically empowers the House to expel a sitting Member who engages in “disorderly Behaviour,” requiring a two-thirds vote of those present and voting. Neither the House nor the Senate requires the concurrence of the other chamber to expel one of its own Members. For a bill to become a law, both chambers must pass it. Why do you think the Framers do NOT allow the chambers to rule on expulsion of members of the other chamber?
The resolution would require approval from two-thirds of the House lawmakers voting, which would most likely require every Democrat to vote to expel and dozens of Republicans to do likewise. Republicans hold a majority so narrow that Mr. Santos’s vote remains crucial to their agenda. Speaker Mike Johnson, who was elected last week, has said he does not support removing Mr. Santos without due process. The resolution to remove Santos, introduced by Santos' fellow freshman Republicans from New York, received 179 votes, while 213 voted against it. 24 Republicans broke with their party and voted to expel Santos, but 31 Democrats voted against expelling him. Four Republicans and 15 Democrats also voted present. Many of the Republicans who voted to expel Santos were moderates or swing-district members, including Santos' fellow New York freshmen who introduced the resolution. Why do you think the majority of the House voted against expelling Santos?
Despite their being popularly elected by their constituents, the will of the voters is overridden by the will of the members of Congress. Explain whether expulsion is undemocratic.
Because the Constitution does not mention criminal records, a person indicted or convicted of a felony would not be barred from serving in the role so long as he or she meets the other requirements. In many states a convicted felon cannot vote, but in all states they can run for office. Make a claim about whether there should be more restrictions on politicians running for office.
Given today’s high level of political polarization explain whether congressional expulsion will become more common in the future.
Visual Extension
Action Extension
Call the capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to speak with your House Representative. Ask them how they plan to vote on Representative Santos. Share their response with your classmates.