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Rep. Jim Himes, who represents Connecticut's 4th congressional district, voted against expelling Santos during a resolution to oust him brought by his fellow New York Republicans on Wednesday night, Nov. 1.
The 4th District includes parts of Fairfield and New Haven counties, including the cities of Bridgeport, Norwalk, Fairfield, and Stamford.
The resolution came as Santos, a Republican who represents parts of Queens and Nassau County on Long Island, faces a total of 23 federal criminal counts, some of which include identity theft, wire fraud, money laundering, and lying to Congress.
Although Himes, a Democrat, recognized that his decision might not be favorable to many of his constituents, he was not in the minority, as the resolution to expel Santos failed with 179 members voting in favor and 213 voting against. Of the 213 who voted against, 31 were Democrats.
Soon after the vote, Himes took to the X social media platform to defend his "unpopular" decision.
"Neither the Ethics Committee nor the courts have finished adjudicating this," Himes said, adding, "In this country, one is presumed innocent until PROVEN guilty. No exceptions."
Himes also took the moment to defend other votes he thought might be unpopular, including his vote against censuring Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, efforts which failed, as well as his vote against a resolution that would have declared a nuclear Iran unacceptable, which ultimately passed.
"Yeah, some unpopular votes tonight," Himes wrote in another post on the X platform on Wednesday night, continuing, "But I think they were about freedom of expression, the presumption of innocence, and the extreme care that should be taken before committing to war. Sorry, but I’m not f’ing around with those things."
After the resolution to expel him failed, Santos also posted on X, saying, "Tonight was a victory for due process not me. This was never about me, and I’ll never let it become about me."
He is scheduled to stand trial for his charges in September 2024.
For a member of Congress to be expelled, a two-thirds majority vote is required. Only 20 federal lawmakers have been expelled in the nation’s history, including 15 in the Senate and five in the House.
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