Kevin McCarthy clearly did not need the news from New York Monday morning that Republican Rep-elect George Santos had apparently mis-stated his education, job history, ownership of properties, net worth, and tax-exempt foundation.
In any event, should the continuing investigative reporting by the New York Times continue to turn up more things about Santos that don’t add up to what he claimed in his winning campaign, the odds grow that the 34-year-old Republican — the first openly-gay non-incumbent Republican to be elected to Congress — will not take the oath of office with the incoming Congress January 3.
Should Santos not be sworn into the House next month, his absence will directly affect McCarthy’s bid for speaker.
With the 435-Member House split between 222 Republicans and 213 Democrats, GOP Leader McCarthy needs 217 votes — a majority of those who are present (Democratic Rep. Donald McEachin of Virginia died last month, his death reducing the needed majority to elect a speaker from 218 to 217).
Should Santos be absent January 3, it will reduce the majority to 216. But it will also mean a sure vote for McCarthy won’t be there when he desperately needs it.
Coupled with the votes of five Republican House Members who have said repeatedly they will not support McCarthy for speaker, the odds would grow that the election for speaker would become the first in a century to go beyond the first ballot.
“So you really think lying to the voters would bar someone from serving in Congress?” one wag joshed to Newsmax after the Santos story broke. Since Santos holds a certificate of election, meets the constitutional age of 25 to serve in the House, and is a resident of the state from which he was elected, there is nothing that would stop him from being seated next month unless the full House voted to bar him from their ranks.
But the reporting of everything from Baruch College (from which he claimed to have graduated) having no record of Santos attending to the IRS having no record of the Friends of Pets United foundation he claimed to have founded to care for dogs and cats is likely to take its toll on the congressman-elect and his supporters.
In 1954, there were spectacular revelations that Rep. Doug Stringfellow, R.-Utah, popular because of his background as a daring OSS agent during World War II, had never worked for the intelligence agency and had not, as he claimed, earned the Silver Star. Utah Republicans forced him to abandon his bid for re-election and replaced him on the ballot sixteen days before the election.
Privately, leaders of the Republican and Conservative Parties in the Empire State — on whose ballot lines Santos captured the 3rd District (Long Island-Northeast Queens) in November, anticipate an eventual vacancy and resulting special election.
Whether it comes will have a major impact on New York politics and, very possibly, on Kevin McCarthy’s bid for speaker.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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