House returns to work and may vote to expel George Santos

The US House of Representatives is back to legislative work after nearly a month of paralysis, and one of its first acts may be expelling one of its own.

The chamber could vote to expel New York congressman George Santos, accused of 23 charges - including fraud and theft, as early as Wednesday.

It could also vote to censure two other members, mostly on partisan lines.

The House also must pass a spending bill to avoid a government shutdown.

Lawmakers from both parties heavily criticised Mr Santos, a Republican, even before he was indicted in May on a variety of fraud, theft and money laundering charges.

In recent weeks, after prosecutors added more charges related to his campaign, at least five New York Republicans have pushed for him to be removed. He is also under an ethics investigation in the House.

But the fate of the measure to expel the embattled lawmaker faces an uncertain future, one that is in the hands of his own party, which controls the House.

The House rarely expels it members - it has only removed two congressmen in the last 100 years.

Republicans hold a slim majority in the chamber and many see vacating his seat as a political gamble. Others say he should only be expelled if he is found guilty in court.

Those pushing for his ouster say it is a moral choice and that Mr Santos has cheated voters. Mr Santos denies all the charges and has insisted he will not resign.

The chamber could also vote this week to censure Republican Marjory Taylor Greene and Democrat Rashida Tlaib, both known for their outspokenness.

Ms Greene has introduced a measure to censure Ms Tlaib, the only member of Congress of Palestinian descent, over comments she has made about Israel and the Jewish people, including what she said after the 7 October Hamas attack.

In return, a Democrat has put forward a measure to censure Ms Greene for a long list of past comments.

Beyond these internal disputes, the House must confront pressing issues that have become more urgent over the last month.

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was able to get a deal passed to keep the government open through 17 November. That cost him his job, though, and he was removed by the right-wing of his party in early October. The House was then at a standstill as Republicans considered candidate after candidate for Speaker before finally agreeing on Mike Johnson.

With another possible government shutdown now looming in a matter of weeks, Republicans must quickly come together to pass legislation that can also win approval in the Democrat-led Senate.

Political fault lines may also break open over foreign aid, with President Joe Biden recently asking congress for $105bn (£87bn) to help Ukraine, Israel, and other countries in the face of two major wars.

While Republicans have been united in their support of Israel against Hamas, they have been divided on helping Ukraine fend off Russian aggression, with many conservatives opposed to sending more aid to the country.