Congress recently expelled George Santos, a New York Republican representative.
So far, Santos is only the sixth person to face expulsion from Congress. During his short tenure in public office, Santos lied numerous times about his background, and he even laundered his donors’ money. Santos now faces criminal charges, but shockingly, the people elected him in the first place.
In discussions of Santos’s removal from Congress, many people said that they were happy that Congress held Santos accountable for his actions. George Santos committed multiple serious crimes, but our government typically doesn’t punish officials’ criminal behavior. This punishment has satisfied many people because everyone, from congresspeople to ordinary citizens, should face justice for their crimes.
Many of us worried that Congress would let Santos stay in office despite his many crimes.
Thankfully, some Republicans took his actions seriously enough that Santos faced consequences for his numerous crimes. The state of our country doesn’t often feel hopeful, especially with Congress’s current leadership, but Santos’ expulsion gives many Americans hope that we’re finally headed in the right direction.
Now that the American people can see that Congress punishes members who engage in criminal behavior, hopefully Congress will continue to eliminate those who don’t belong in office. We need to reevaluate the standards to which we hold our officials and prioritize their actions above their statuses. Above all, the government needs to hold everyone accountable for their actions — especially its officials.
It’s unfortunately easy to compare George Santos, with his long list of crimes, to Donald Trump, who currently has 91 charges against him in the four indictments he faces. Trump still plans to run for president in 2024, but we can only hope that the government finally punishes him for his crimes as well.
If America’s congresspeople aren’t above the law, then neither are our current and former presidents.
George Santos’s congressional expulsion reminded us of what an accountable government should look like. With great power comes great responsibility — and it’s time that both our leaders and our country’s citizens demand accountability for those who deserve it.
Featured Photo by Louis Velasquez on Unsplash.
