An expulsion resolution brought against Rep. George Santos (R-New York) was voted down on the House floor yesterday – with two New Jersey House members crossing the aisle to vote against the majority of their respective parties.
Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) was among the 24 House Republicans to vote in favor of expelling the infamous Santos, who is under indictment on charges of wire fraud, identity theft, and more. In doing so, Kean joined with many other Republicans from highly competitive congressional districts; the resolution was brought by Kean’s neighboring swing-district GOP congressmen in New York.
Six New Jersey Democrats also voted for the resolution: Reps. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown), Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch), Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson), Donald Payne Jr. (D-Newark), Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing).
“Of course I voted to expel arrested Republican George Santos from Congress,” Pascrell said on Twitter. “He’s a con artist and a fraudster and has no place in office.”
Rep. Rob Menendez (D-Jersey City), on the other hand, joined 31 other Democrats in voting against the expulsion resolution. The reason why is likely tied to his father, Senator Bob Menendez, who is similarly under indictment; expelling Santos without a conviction or a ruling from the Ethics Committee would set a precedent that the Menendez family may want to avoid.
“A decision of this magnitude must not be based on our opinions about the suitability of a colleague or their politics,” Menendez said in a statement. “Instead, it must be based on facts and the final determinations of any ongoing legal proceedings or investigation by the House Ethics Committee. Without these critical steps completed, we must trust in the voters who elect Members of Congress to make their own decisions about who will represent them in Washington.”
Republican Reps. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis) and Chris Smith (R-Manchester) also opposed the resolution. Rep. Donald Norcross (D-Camden) voted “present,” and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Wyckoff) was not in attendance for votes last night due to a meeting with New Jersey rabbis.
Separately, the House also voted to table a resolution censuring Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan), whose recent comments on Israel have drawn condemnation from both parties. All three New Jersey Republicans voted against tabling the resolution, while every New Jersey Democrat but Gottheimer – who once again was not present – voted in favor of tabling it.
“I oppose the partisan censuring of Congresswoman Tlaib for the crime of speaking her mind,” Pascrell said in a statement. “I do not always agree with her, but it is an outrage for Republicans to try to censure my colleague because they do not agree with her.”
This story was updated at 3:19 p.m. with a statement from Menendez.