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Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix
Visiting Sarasota on Monday, U. S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said that “it remains to be seen” whether there will be an upcoming vote to remove New York Republican Congressman George Santos from office.
In a question posed by the Florida Phoenix to Johnson on Santos’ situation, the Speaker said: “I’ve spoken to Congressman Santos at some length over the holiday and talked to him about his options but we’ll have to see. It’s not been determined, but we’ll be talking about that when we return [to Washington] tomorrow.”
A House Ethics Committee report released earlier this month concluded that there was “substantial evidence” that Santos broke federal law and violated House rules, including specific allegations of stealing money from his campaign, deceiving donors about how contributions would be used, creating fictitious loans and engaging in fraudulent business dealings.
Following the release of that report, Mississippi Republican Congressman Michael Guest, the chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Ethics announced that he had filed an expulsion resolution that would compel the House to vote to expel or retain the New York Republican.
This would be the second time that the House has voted to remove Santos.
A vote earlier this month went down to defeat, but that was before the Ethics report was released. Historically, there have only been five members of the U.S. House of Representatives who have been expelled, according to the Congressional Research Service. Santos has also been indicted by the U.S. Justice Department in New York on charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, false statements, aggravated identify theft and credit card fraud.
Johnson spoke to reporters at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, where he was greeted by Sarasota Republican Congressman Vern Buchanan. The two men spoke in a new section under construction for the airport’s new terminal expansion project, a $100 million investment that includes a five-gate terminal, a four-lane security checkpoint and five boarding hold rooms which will seat nearly 1,000 people, according to Buchanan’s office.
Ten percent of those funds – or $10 million – have already been allocated for the airport expansion via the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Joe Biden, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. An additional $6.2 million is scheduled to come to the project in fiscal year 2024.
It should be noted that a majority of Republican House members voted against the Biden infrastructure law, including Buchanan and Johnson.
The overall airport expansion also includes improvements to the baggage system and parking lot that that will bring the total costs to $200 million, according to Fred Piccolo, the president and CEO of the airport.
Upon arriving from a flight from Louisiana shortly after 11 a.m., Johnson gave prepared remarks to the press, where he urged the Senate to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and aviation safety and infrastructure programs for the next five years. The House passed their version of the legislation earlier this year.
“It cuts down on red tape that makes it hard to build new airports and projects like the one that we’re witnessing here,” Johnson said in why it was important to get the measure approved. “It also provides new opportunities for pilots and ensures that we have the workforce that we need to safely grow service where projects like this are completed.”
Among the other issues that Johnson is currently working on is a funding package to provide aid to Israel and Ukraine. Johnson said that on the flight to Sarasota he was texting “back and forth with Senate colleagues who are working on the negotiation.”
“Listen, Israel is a top priority for the United States, and supporting our ally there is critical,” he said. “It’s one of the first things we did in fact we passed the bipartisan Israel support package out of the House a while ago…it’s been sitting in the Senate and on [Democratic Senate Majority Leader] Chuck Schumer’s desk, and so we are encouraging him to get that done.”
The House did pass a $14.3 billion spending bill to aid Israel in its war with Hamas in early November, but because it included cutting an equal amount of funding appropriated to the IRS to enforce tax payments. Schumer labeled it “a joke” and said he would not bring it up for consideration. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also dismissed the bill because it did not include funding for Ukraine.
The Phoenix also asked Johnson about the attachment of immigration measures to a bill related to Israel and Ukraine funding. Johnson responded, saying, that “Ukraine is another priority” and that the measure will also address immigration, without being too specific.
“Of course, we can’t allow Vladimir Putin to march through Europe, and we understand the necessity of assisting there,” Johnson said. “What we said is that if there is to be additional assistance to Ukraine, which most members of Congress believe is important, we have to also work in changing our own border policy. And so, there’s been a lot of thoughtful negotiations on going with that. I think most of our Senate colleagues recognize that those two things need to move together.”
Buchanan is hosting a fundraising event for Johnson on Monday night in Longboat Key, according to Punchbowl News. The minimal contribution to attend the event is $1,000, with the top contribution request going for $25,000 be able to attend the reception and dinner.
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Diane Rado for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com. Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and Twitter.
