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- Republican Rep. George Santos will get to serve on two House committees.
- According to reports, Santos will serve on both a small business and a science-related panel.
- Santos’ slew of scandals had cast some doubt on whether he would get to serve on any committee.
Embattled Republican Rep. George Santos will reportedly serve on two House committees, a sign that the New York Republican, who is facing down calls from within the GOP to resign, will still be extended some of the normal power granted to new members.
Santos will serve on both the House Small Business Committee and the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, multiple news outlets reported Tuesday. Neither panel is considered a high-profile assignment. It is rare for a first-term lawmaker to serve on a major committee.
GOP Rep. Roger Williams of Texas, the chairman of the Small Business panel, told CNN that he did not “condone” Santos’ behavior. He added that since Santos was elected, he should get to represent his constituents on committees.
Multiple Republican chairs, especially those dealing with national security matters, have made it clear that they don’t want Santos to serve on their committees.
A handful of House Republicans, including fellow members of the New York delegation, have called on Santos to resign amid a slew of scandals related to Santos’ repeated lies about his resume, experience, and background. Just last week, the Nassau County Republican Party and the New York State Conservative Party formally called on the freshman to step down. Santos quickly rejected those calls.
“I was elected to serve the people of #NY03 not the party & politicians, I remain committed to doing that and regret to hear that local officials refuse to work with my office to deliver results to keep our community safe and lower the cost of living,” Santos wrote on Twitter in response. “I will NOT resign!”
Serving on committees is a critical function of being a member of Congress. While House Republicans have promised a more open amendment process, in recent years there have been few opportunities to amend legislation on the floor. That means lawmakers have the best chance of shaping bills at the committee level where it is common for the chair to hold formal “mark-ups” where members are freer to amend the underlying legislation.
Santos’ office did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for more updates.
