Representative Cori Bush introduced a resolution to investigate and potentially expel members of the United States House of Representatives, “who have sought to overturn the 2020 Presidential election” on Monday.

“To even suggest expulsion means that the person has done something that’s heinous to the Congress of the United States,” Ray Smock, former Historian for the House of Representatives said.

Only twenty members of congress have ever been expelled and seventeen of those were members that supported the rebellion of the Confederate States of America. 

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The push for expulsion is a response to the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol building which Democratic lawmakers are linking to efforts by President Donald Trump and his supporters to stop certification of the results of the 2020 presidential election. 

“We must hold these republicans accountable for their role in this insurrection at our nation’s Capitol as part of a racist attempt to overturn the election results,” Bush said in a Jan. 11 press release. 

One hundred thirty nine members of the House voted against certifying the results of the election after the riot at the Capitol including Mike Bost who represents Illinois’ 12th District and Mary Miller who represents Illinois’ 15th District. 

Bost’s office released a statement on Jan. 7 continuing to question the results of the election. 

“Two states in particular, Pennsylvania and Arizona, faced objections in the House and Senate to their electoral vote allocations, prompting floor votes in both chambers. I voted to object to the electoral votes of both states because, in my belief, they failed to meet that constitutional standard,” Bost said, according to the press release. 

A petition to recall Bost has since gathered over 2000 signatures. 

(See more: Petition to recall Mike Bost).

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The resolution to expel was co-sponsored by forty seven members of the House, including Illinois representatives Danny Davis, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, Marie Newman, Bobby Rush, and Jan Schakowsy. 

“The last time anybody was expelled from the house was Jim Traficant around 2002, and he was a democrat from Ohio,” Smock said. “He was convicted of bribery and racketeering and tax evasion, pretty serious crimes.”

Expulsion requires a two-thirds majority making it unlikely to pass, but the committee investigating house members has the authority to recommend a variety of other disciplinary measures. 

“Members could be relieved of their committee assignments,” Smock said. “They still would be members with the right to vote, but they wouldn’t be able to conduct committee work, which is the heart of what Congress does.”

The members could also censured, basically a public admonishing. 

“More than likely what might happen to some of these members, especially the ones that were most active in drumming up this myth that the election had fraudulent elements or needed to be investigated more with a silly ten day commission that some of them talked about, that more like more than likely they would be censured,” Smock said.

Staff reporter Jason Flynn can be reached at Jflynn@dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter at @dejasonflynn. To stay up to date with all your southern Illinois news, follow the Daily Egyptian on Facebook and Twitter.

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