House returns to business with censure, expulsion resolutions on deck
The House returns to Washington this week with a trio of censure and expulsion resolutions on deck, after lawmakers moved to force votes on the disciplinary measures last week.
The chamber is set to weigh in on a resolution to expel Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), and measures to censure Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) — three figures who have drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers on opposite sides of the aisle and, at times, from members of their own parties.
How to approach the resolutions represents a big question for newly minted Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who assumed the role following a three-week saga over who would succeed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The chamber could motion to table the resolutions — or refer the expulsion resolution — which would prevent the chamber from voting on the measures at hand.
Also this week, the House will consider aid to Israel, a resolution condemning the support of Hamas and Hezbollah on college campuses, and three appropriations bills.
On the Senate side, lawmakers will continue consideration of amendments to the appropriations minibus, and the chamber could vote on Jack Lew’s nomination to be ambassador to Israel.
The Senate returns to session on Monday, and the House reconvenes on Wednesday.
House to act on Santos expulsion resolution
The House this week will act on a resolution to expel Santos from the chamber — after a group of New York Republicans forced a vote on Santos’s ouster last week — marking the second time this year that the chamber has weighed in on whether or not the embattled lawmaker should remain in Congress.
The chamber could act on the resolution as soon as Wednesday.
Leadership can move to table the measure or refer it to a committee, both of which would require a majority vote. But if those efforts are defeated, or if leadership brings the legislation directly to the floor, a two-thirds vote will be needed to boot Santos from Congress.
During an interview with Fox News’s Sean Hannity last week, Johnson said Santos deserves “due process.”
“George Santos is due due process, right. My understanding is I think he’s appearing in a federal court tomorrow. And we have to allow due process to play itself out. That’s what our system of justice is for. He’s not convicted, he’s charged. And so if we’re gonna expel people from Congress just because they’re charged with a crime then, you know, or accused, that’s a problem,” Johnson said.
Santos pleaded guilty to 10 additional federal charges on Friday that allege he inflated his campaign finance reports and charged his donors’ credit cards without authorization. He is facing a total of 23 federal charges.
Santos, for his part, is remaining defiant in the face of increased pressure, and re-emphasized that he is not resigning in the face of mounting legal troubles.
“Three points of clarification: 1. I have not cleared out my office. 2. I’m not resigning. 3. I’m entitled to due process and not a predetermined outcome as some are seeking. God bless!” he wrote on X last week, after the New York Republicans forced a vote on a resolution for his ouster.
House to act on Tlaib, Greene censure resolutions
The House this week will act on resolutions to censure Tlaib and Greene, a set of votes that have been regarded as tit-for-tat efforts between the two parties.
The House could move on the measures as soon as Wednesday after they were called to the floor as privileged resolutions last week. The procedural gambit forces leadership to act on the legislation within two legislative days. Leadership can either move to table the resolutions or bring them to the floor for votes, both of which would require majority support.
Greene first moved to force a vote on a resolution censuring Tlaib, accusing the Michigan Democrat — who is the first woman of Palestinian descent to serve in Congress — of “antisemitic activity” and “sympathizing with terrorist organizations.” It also takes aim at her alleged involvement with a protest at a Capitol office building which, a source familiar with the matter told The Hill, the congresswoman was not present at.
The three-page resolution listed previous comments from Tlaib that were related to Israel, Palestine and Jewish people, and it included remarks she made after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel earlier this month. Tlaib in a statement called the resolution “deeply Islamophobic and attacks peaceful Jewish anti-war advocates.”
Shortly after, freshman Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) moved to force a vote on a resolution censuring Greene for controversial comments the congresswoman has made in the past. The eight-page resolution, which was introduced in July, lists roughly 40 points against Greene, including when she showed sexual images of Hunter Biden during a House hearing.
After the resolution was introduced in July, Greene said “I don’t know who this freshman Democrat is. They must have terrible fundraising numbers because they’re pulling some ridiculous stunt… Looks like four pages of slander, because I looked at the first few lines and I was like, ‘That’s not even true.’”
House to consider Israel aid, antisemitism resolution
The House this week will consider a stand-alone Israel funding bill as the country remains at war with Hamas.
Johnson told GOP lawmakers on a call Sunday that the House will move a $14.5 billion aid bill on Thursday, according to a source on the call. The Speaker previewed the package during an appearance on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”
“We're going to move a stand-alone Israel funding bill this week in the House. I know our colleagues, our Republican colleagues in the Senate, have a similar measure. We believe that that is a pressing and urgent need,” he said. “There are lots of things going on around the world that we have to address. And we will. But, right now, what's happening in Israel takes the immediate attention.”
“I think we have got to separate that and get it through. I believe there will be bipartisan support for that. And I'm going to push very hard for it,” he added.
Also this week, the House will vote on a resolution condemning the support of Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations at higher education institutions “which may lead to the creation of a hostile environment for Jewish students, faculty, and staff.” Tensions have risen on college campuses amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas, with pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian organizations sparing and, at times, university leaders getting involved.
The two pieces of legislation come after the House last week approved a resolution backing Israel and condemning Hamas, which was the first piece of legislation passed under Johnson’s Speakership.
House to take up appropriations bills
The House this week will continue churning through appropriations bills, with three on the docket for the coming days.
The chamber will consider legislation funding legislative branch appropriations; the Department of the Interior, Environment, and related agencies; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies.
The emphasis on appropriations measures comes ahead of the Nov. 17 government funding deadline. Johnson has said he wants to make as much progress as possible on the full slate of spending measures ahead of the looming deadline, even though a short-term funding patch will more than likely be needed to keep the lights on beyond Nov. 17. The House has passed just five of 12 appropriations bills, while the Senate has approved none.
Johnson spoke to the current dynamics on Sunday.
“We're moving them as quickly as possible and trying to meet that deadline. If indeed we come to November 17 and we're unable to finish that, because it's detailed work and it takes some time, we will look at another stopgap measure,” Johnson told “Sunday Morning Futures.”
“But I think everyone will be on board with that, because they understand we're really doing this work. And if we run out of time on the calendar, we may need just a little more to complete it. So the details of that will come together,” he added.
Senate continues work on minibus, potential Lew confirmation vote
The Senate this week will continue voting on amendments to the appropriations “minibus,” with hopes of wrapping up consideration of the package this week.
The package includes legislation funding military construction and the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced a deal on amendments for the minibus last week, arranging for the consideration of more than three dozen amendments.
The chamber worked through a number of those last week, and is aiming to finish the full slate this week.
The Senate this week could also vote on Jack Lew’s nomination to be ambassador to Israel after Schumer filed cloture on Lew’s nomination last week.
The looming confirmation vote comes as Israel remains at war with Hamas. Schumer cited the ongoing conflict in remarks announcing his intention to file cloture on Lew’s nomination.
“Later today, I will file cloture on this most urgent nomination, so Mr. Lew can be appointed to the post of Ambassador ASAP,” Schumer said. “The team at the U.S. embassy is doing a heroic job right now under terrible circumstances – including a wonderful chargé d'affaires who helped us during our visit. Israel is in crisis, America needs to stand with her, and a most urgent and obvious step would be to make sure we have an American Ambassador in place.”
Al Weaver contributed.