What happens to George Santos now?

By Victor Reklaitis

'Why would I want to stay here? To hell with this place,' Santos tells reporters after his ouster

Rep. George Santos was expelled from Congress in an historic vote Friday, following a House panel's findings of substantial evidence of lawbreaking by the New York Republican.

But could Santos, 35, still enjoy some of the benefits that come with having served as his Long Island district's congressman?

The answer is yes for some perks, but not all. Read on for details.

Question: Can an expelled member of Congress still collect a pension?

Answer: No, not if the lawmaker has served for less than five years. Santos was sworn into office just 11 months ago, after Republicans picked up enough seats in November 2022's midterm elections to gain a small majority in the House.

U.S. lawmakers are eligible for a pension at age 62 only if they have completed at least five years of service, according to a Congressional Research Service report.

What's more, lawmakers can lose their pension if they're convicted of fraud-related offenses, and Santos is facing such charges. But that provision came relatively recently, with 2007's Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, and some watchdogs say that law has loopholes that need to be closed up.

Question: Does an expelled member of Congress still get free healthcare?

Answer: It's a myth that House lawmakers and U.S. senators get totally free healthcare, according to the office of Rep. Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania.

Current members of Congress are authorized to receive free outpatient medical care and emergency dental care at military facilities in the Washington, D.C., area, but they're billed for inpatient services and former members aren't eligible, according to a separate CRS report.

Overall, just as tens of millions of Americans make use of employer-sponsored health insurance, members of Congress and designated congressional staff receive employer-sponsored insurance through the District of Columbia's Obamacare exchange, known as DC Health Link, the report said, though some lawmakers have opted to pay for other health plans.

Question: Does an expelled member of Congress still get access to the House floor?

Answer: Yes. Former members of the House are entitled to admission to that chamber's floor while it's in session, as long as they aren't lobbyists, according to another CRS report.

It's among the courtesies and privileges for ex-lawmakers that come from U.S. law, chamber rules or as a matter of custom, the report said. Others include access to parking, athletic and dining facilities.

However, Santos on Friday sounded like he wouldn't make use of his floor privileges or other such perks. "Why would I want to stay here? To hell with this place," he told reporters after his expulsion, according to a CNN report.

Question: Can former House lawmakers lobby their old colleagues?

Answer: Yes, once they go through a one-year "cooling off" period.

Turning to lobbying is a common move. For example, at least 15 members of the 115th Congress had taken up work at lobbying firms by March 2019, just two months after the 116th Congress had been sworn in.

-Victor Reklaitis

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12-01-23 1214ET

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