Santos won’t serve on 2 committees for now, lawmakers say

Santos was assigned to the House Committee on Small Business and to the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

Associated Press
Kevin Freking

January 31, 2023

File photo: Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., leaves a House GOP conference meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 25, 2023. Santos told colleagues in a closed-door meeting Tuesday that he is temporarily stepping down from his two congressional committees. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

Republican Rep. George Santos of New York told GOP colleagues Tuesday he is temporarily stepping down from his two congressional committees, a move that comes amid a host of ethics issues and a day after he met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Santos has faced numerous calls for his resignation and is facing multiple investigations by prosecutors over his personal and campaign finances and lies about his resume and family background.

Santos was assigned to two fairly low-profile panels, the House Committee on Small Business and to the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., says Santos “referenced the drama and everything surrounding the situation and he just felt like it was the appropriate thing to do.”

Rep. Tom Cole, R-Olka., said the decision was well-received from the GOP conference, saying “I think it was the appropriate thing to do and I was proud of him for getting up and doing this.”

McCarthy met with Santos on Monday night, but did not disclose their conversation.

“You’ll see,” McCarthy told reporters at the Capitol.

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Santos, meanwhile, said he would issue a statement later in the day.

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Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

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