Santos steps down from committee assignments, lawmakers say

He told colleagues he is leaving his assignments on the Small Business and Science Committees, lawmakers say.

Published: January 31, 2023 10:12am

Updated: January 31, 2023 10:29am

Rep. George Santos, the New York Republican at the center of numerous investigations into his history, is reportedly stepping down from his committee assignments Tuesday.

He told colleagues he is leaving his assignments on the Small Business Committee and the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, lawmakers confirmed.

"He just said he recused himself for a while and then he'll come back," Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) told reporters after a closed-door House Republican meeting, Reuters reported.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said Santos "asked that we all support him when everything settles down for him to serve on committees," The Hill reported.

"It sounds to me like it’s temporary," Small Business Committee Chair Roger Willims (R-Texas) told Axios. "I think until there’s a level of what he thinks the issues he’s a distraction from are over with."

Santos said he "will not be discussing what happened" in the private conference. He has faced calls to resign after he admitted to lying on his resume.