U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres Will Introduce the “GEORGE” Rule to Revoke House Floor Privileges for Expelled Members of the House

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres (NY-15) revealed he will introduce a new rule that would revoke House floor privileges for expelled members of the House of Representatives. The announcement of the GEORGE (Getting Expelled Officially Revokes Guaranteed Entry) Rule comes the day after former U.S. Representative George Santos (NY-03) unexpectedly traveled to Washington and sat on the House floor for President Biden’s State of the Union address.

“Expelled Congressman George Santos disgraced the United States Congress with his presence at the State of the Union last night,” said U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres (NY-15). “Santos was thrown out of the House on a bipartisan basis after a litany of lies, alleged crimes, sideshows, and embarrassments on the national stage. We have to be better than this, and that’s why I will be introducing a rule to bar expelled members from maintaining the high privilege of sitting on the House Floor.”

“Name me any other example where you can get publicly fired from your job, leave in absolute disgrace, but maintain the right to come back to your old workplace as you please. I view serving in Congress as the privilege of my lifetime — we cannot allow those who make a mockery of this institution to keep the perks of the job after they’ve been expelled. I urge all my colleagues in the House to join me in putting this absurdity to rest. Many House Republicans finally found the courage last year to expel Santos; let’s hope they find the courage once again.”

While Rep. Santos was in Congress, Rep. Torres was a vocal critic of his behavior and lies. In January 2023, alongside Rep. Dan Goldman, Rep. Torres introduced the SANTOS Act, also known as the Stopping Another Non-Truthful Office Seeker Act. The SANTOS Act would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 and require any candidate for Congress to file additional information about their educational background, military service, and employment history. A candidate who knowingly and willfully provides false information would be punished with a $100,000 fine, one year in prison, or both. The bill would apply to federal elections held on or after the day on which it is signed into law.