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Two-thirds of the House of Representatives would have to vote in
favor for Santos to be expelled, a bar unlikely to be reached in
a chamber that Republicans control by a narrow 222-213 margin.
But the vote will put many Republicans in the difficult position
of defending a colleague with a history of lying about his work
experience and biography.
Garcia, who represents a House district in California, used a
parliamentary maneuver to force a vote within two days on the
motion.
"George Santos is a fraud and a liar, and he needs to be
expelled by the House," Garcia said in a statement. "Republicans
now have a chance to demonstrate to Americans that an admitted
criminal should not serve in the House of Representatives."
Santos's office did not immediately respond to a request for
comment.
Santos last week pleaded not guilty to the charges, calling the
allegations against him a politically motivated "witch hunt."
He has made extensive false claims about his past, including
saying he earned degrees from New York University and Baruch
College despite neither institution having any record of his
attending. He claimed to have worked at Goldman Sachs and
Citigroup, also untrue.
He said falsely that he was Jewish and that his grandparents
escaped the Nazis during World War Two. He has admitted to
fabricating large parts of his resume.
Santos, a first-term congressman, has said he intends to seek
re-election in 2024. Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has
said he would not support Santos's re-election bid.
Nine House Republicans have called on Santos to resign,
including six from New York.
(Reporting by Moira Warburton; Editing by Will Dunham and Scott
Malone)
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