Republican moves to expel Rep. LaMonica McIver from Congress
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Rep. Nancy Mace walking to a House Republican Conference meeting at the U.S. Capitol on May 20. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) said Wednesday she is filing a resolution to expel Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) from Congress after the Justice Department charged her with allegedly assaulting law enforcement.
Why it matters: The resolution is a long shot — and Mace isn't yet forcing a vote on it — but Republicans seem intent on punishing McIver and two other House Democrats who were involved in a scuffle with ICE officers.
- The three-page measure says McIver "must be held accountable to the highest standards of conduct in order to safeguard the public's faith in this institution."
- McIver, who has denied assaulting law enforcement, responded in a post on X: "In the South I think they say, 'bless her heart.'"
Driving the news: Mace said in a press release she would introduce an expulsion resolution but let the House Ethics Committee consider it, rather than forcing a House floor vote on it.
- The Justice Department has charged McIver with assault on a law enforcement officer based on footage of her elbowing an ICE official outside a migrant detention facility in Newark earlier this month.
- McIver has said she was the one who was assaulted and accused the Trump administration of pursuing a political prosecution.
- Democrats have rallied around her and her fellow New Jersey Democrats, saying they had every right to conduct oversight of the detention center.
Zoom out: In addition to Mace's expulsion measure, Rep. William Timmons (R-S.C.) introduced a resolution to censure her and launch a House Ethics Committee investigation.
- Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) introduced a resolution to strip committee assignments from McIver and Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) and Rob Menendez (D-N.J.).
- House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said last week that expulsion is "not likely" because it requires a two-thirds majority, but said Republicans were "looking at what is appropriate."
The intrigue: Mace cited the expulsion of former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), saying it "set [a] precedent for expelling Members charged, but not yet convicted, of serious criminal offenses."
- Santos was expelled in an overwhelming bipartisan vote in 2023 after being charged with nearly two dozen criminal counts, including wire fraud and money laundering.
- The vote came after an Ethics Committee report corroborated many of the allegations against Santos, who was sentenced last month to 7 years in prison.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
