George Santos Expelled From Congress and Hamas Breaks Ceasefire With New Barrage of Rockets
After a vote in Congress, Rep. George Santos (NY-3) experienced the first Congress expulsion in over 20 years for his myriad political scandals. What happens now to the empty House seat and how does this impact the GOP majority?
Expelling a member of Congress takes a two-thirds majority vote. The last time a House lawmaker was expelled was more than two decades ago, when late former Rep. Jim Traficant, D-Ohio, was voted out of Congress in 2002.
Prior to his ousting, Traficant had been convicted of 10 felony counts, including racketeering and taking bribes.
Santos has not been convicted of a crime, but he’s been indicted on 23 counts related to wire fraud, identity theft, falsification of records, credit card fraud, and other charges. He’s been accused of using campaign funds on a number of luxury goods and treatments such as botox. He has pleaded not guilty.
This situation is similar to the legal woes of Senator Bob Menendez (NJ), who has been charged with bribery. Yet there’s no rush by Democrats in Congress to remove him from office.
After Santos’ expulsion, Republicans are down to a narrow four-seat majority in the House. So if a few GOP Representatives get sick or miss a flight, they won’t have the majority to stop a vote by the opposing party. That’s why many in Republican leadership argued a move shouldn’t be made against Santos until he was convicted of a crime.
Regardless, a vote took place, and Santos is now gone. A special election will take place to fill Santos’ seat, and since it’s a New York district, the Democrats have a good chance of retaking it. We’ll see if this becomes an issue for legislation in the days ahead.
Now let’s shift our focus to the Middle East, where Israel’s fight to eradicate Hamas has resumed. In fact, right after the ceasefire ended, Hamas launched a barrage of rockets at Israel. The IDF has no choice but to move forward at full speed to destroy Hamas.
Israel has two primary priorities right now. The first is the survival of the Jewish state. This is paramount and must be the principal focus. The second priority (or even priority 1-A) is to rescue the remaining hostages.
I have grave concerns that many of the 140 reported remaining hostages aren’t alive. If many were still alive, Hamas would have used them as pawns amid the ceasefire to give them time to rearm themselves.
Unfortunately, Israel will soon find itself in a legal dilemma. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has dispatched the Chief Prosecutor to Israel and Gaza. The international community has already shown its bias against Israel, and the ACLJ will be prepared to advocate on Israel’s behalf.
As Israel moves forward with its military, it will suffer the world’s opinion turning against her. The U.N. and Palestinian Authority will also put pressure on the ICC to stop Israel’s incursion into Gaza.
So Israel will face escalating international pressure as it seeks to defend its people. For example, such pressure could make it difficult for businesses to work with Israel, harming its economy. Israel’s fight is far from over legally and militarily.
We also continue to see anti-Israel sentiment in America. Secretary of State Antony Blinken outrageously said that Israel should have a “civilian protection plan” of Gaza residents as it moves forward. Keep in mind that Israel experienced its worst attack in a single day since the Holocaust – Blinken shouldn’t be lecturing Israel after a terrorist attack.
Also, Hamas bombed Israel almost the minute the ceasefire ended, and Hamas gunmen went on a shooting spree at a Jerusalem bus station yesterday during the ceasefire. Israel can’t afford to follow Blinken’s directive.
So as the international community and American leaders continue to turn their backs on Israel, we all need to remain steadfast in our earnest support of our ally. Dark days are ahead for the State of Israel, and she needs all the help she can get.
Today is the launch of our Faith & Freedom Year-End Drive. Defending Israel requires immense resources, and we need your support. Donate today, and your gift will be doubled instantly.
Today’s Sekulow broadcast reacted to Rep. Santos’ expulsion and Israel’s recommencing its incursion into Gaza in response to further Hamas attacks. My dad, Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, recalled his interactions with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who just passed away. Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell also discussed the Biden Administration’s foreign policy failures in the Middle East.
Watch the full broadcast below: