After there had been days of wondering as to whether or not Rep. George Santos (R-NY) would be assignment to committees, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) spoke more about the matter on Tuesday, indicating that there would indeed be a placement for him. The speaker had already previously made clear that it wasn't going to be a top committee. By the end of the day, the embattled congressman was named to the House Committee on Small Business and the House House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
CNN's Manu Raju, who had been following the discussions on Tuesday, tweeted out a quote from and a clip of him talking to Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX), who serves as the committee's chairman. "I don’t condone what he said, what he’s done. I don’t think anybody does. But that’s not my role. He was elected. He represents a million people." The point that Santos is an elected member who serves constituents is similar to one McCarthy had used when stopping short from calling on Santos to resign, as other fellow Republican members and the Nassau County GOP have.
"The voters have elected George Santos," McCarthy had said at a press briefing last Thursday. "If there is a concern, he will go through ethics. If there is something that is found, he will be dealt with in that manner. But they have a voice in this process."
Santos will also be on the Science Committee, per GOP sources
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 17, 2023
Such a placement was not what Santos was hoping for, which was reportedly House Committee on Financial Services or the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Up until recently, though, it remained to be seen if Santos would serve on any committees.
In addition to a seat on Financial Services, Rep. George Santos had hoped to get a spot on the House Foreign Affairs Committee — but he won’t get either, per GOP sources
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 17, 2023
Santos is still expected to sit on at least committee. Among committees left: science and small business
As Raju had also explained on Tuesday, the narrative among Republicans appeared to be that while sources indicated there were "several" chairs who did not Santos with them, it would set a precedent for other scandalized members.
Concern among Rs is that if they deny George Santos committees now, it’d set a precedent for other members who are facing intense scrutiny from the press but have not been charged with a crime. Several GOP chairs have made clear they don’t want him on their panels, per sources
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 17, 2023
Other Republicans generating buzz for their placements included Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of George and Paul Gosar of Arizona, who had been stripped of their committee assignments during the previous Congress when the House was under Democratic control. The two were placed on the House Oversight Committee, while Gosar was also placed on the Natural Resources Committee and Greene was placed on the House Committee on Homeland Security.
As a result, "Homeland Security Committee" was trending over Twitter as liberals reacted with hysteria.