Rep. George Santos who admitted to lying about his background in court would retain his seat in Congress as other members who planned to out him could not get it done.
The expulsion resolution, which was led by his fellow New York Republicans needed at least two-thirds of the voting lawmakers, to pass.
However, the vote did not pass the majority standard.
179 voted in favor of expulsion, 213 against and 19 voted present. Thirty-one Democrats voted with 182 Republicans against expulsion, while 24 Republicans voted with 155 Democrats to remove Santos.
Speaking after the vote, Santos had some things to say.
“I will continue to fight to defend myself. I will continue to serve the 3rd Congressional District of New York until the people choose to not have me,” he said.
Santos pleaded not guilty to a superseding federal indictment Friday and is not scheduled to stand trial until September.
The House Ethics Committee is handling the case, and Santos said that he has been cooperative with them on their investigation.
Some Republicans have said they first want to see how the House Ethics Committee handles the case before they decide Santos’ fate.
The bipartisan panel said Tuesday it will announce the next steps in its investigation by Nov. 17.
He has promised to accept whatever conclusion the panel makes. “I might not agree with it, but then I’ll go fight my battle in court later on,” he added.
