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How many congressmen have been expelled from office in US history?
Executive summary
In U.S. history, available sources state that 21 members of Congress have been expelled: 15 from the Senate and six from the House of Representatives (Wikipedia; HeinOnline; Senate site) [1] [2] [3]. The vast majority—17 of the 21 expulsions—occurred during the Civil War era for support of the Confederacy, with the remainder scattered across other periods [1] [2] [4].
1. What the official tallies say: a simple head count
Multiple institutional and reference sources report the same headline figure: 21 total expulsions in Congress — 15 Senators and six Representatives [1] [2] [3]. The U.S. Senate’s official page explicitly notes that 15 Senators have been expelled since 1789 [2], while House historical listings and compendia confirm six expulsions in the House [5] [6].
2. Why most expulsions clustered in 1861–62: the Civil War purge
The dominant reason for expulsions is well documented: 17 of the 21 expulsions were for disloyalty to the Union during the Civil War period (members supporting the Confederacy) [1] [2] [4]. That concentration explains why expulsions are otherwise rare in U.S. congressional history and why the raw number is higher than one might expect given modern practice [4].
3. Expulsion is distinct, and rarely used, by design
Legal and congressional analyses emphasize expulsion’s constitutional basis and its rarity. The Constitution grants each chamber the power to expel a member by a two‑thirds vote; courts treat expulsion as distinct from exclusion (refusing to seat a member) and generally defer to Congress on disciplinary questions [7]. Congressional history notes the body uses exclusion sparingly and often prefers other remedies—censure, reprimand—or members resign before a vote [4] [7].
4. Modern context and a recent case: George Santos
Recent reporting and institutional histories place the December 2023 expulsion of Rep. George Santos in that long, selective tradition: his removal made him one of the six Representatives expelled in history, and contemporary accounts note the Ethics Committee report and criminal charges that precipitated the vote [5] [8] [9]. Commentary explains why expulsions remain difficult: political calculations, the two‑thirds threshold, and the tendency of many members to resign before formal expulsion proceedings conclude [3] [9].
5. Counting caveats and how sources frame the numbers
While the 21‑member total appears consistently in the provided material, sources highlight nuances: some historical expulsions were later reversed or complicated by legal distinctions between exclusion and expulsion, and many disciplinary actions stop short of formal expulsion because of political or procedural considerations [7] [4]. Available reporting does not provide a detailed roll call of each expelled member in the excerpts provided here; institutional pages such as the House History archive and Senate site are referenced as authoritative lists [6] [2].
6. Competing viewpoints and implicit agendas in the sources
Reference sources (Wikipedia) present the consolidated figure and context but are aggregations that depend on primary records [1] [5]. Government pages (Senate, House history, Congress.gov/CRS) present the legal framing and historical practice, emphasizing restraint and constitutional limits—an institutional perspective that underscores Congress’s discretion and protects legislative prerogative [2] [7] [6]. Law‑oriented analyses note the judiciary’s reluctance to interfere, which could reflect an institutional agenda to retain self‑governance over membership matters [7].
7. What the numbers imply about congressional discipline today
The historical concentration of expulsions during a national crisis and the modern rarity of the action imply that expulsion is treated as an extraordinary remedy. Contemporary scholars and commentators point out that many members accused of wrongdoing resign to avoid expulsion, and that political dynamics (two‑thirds requirement, partisan balance) make formal expulsions infrequent [3] [4]. The case of George Santos underscores how rare expulsions still are and how significant a bipartisan consensus must be to reach the constitutional threshold [9] [8].
Limitations: this summary relies on the provided excerpts and links; available sources do not list every expelled member’s name or provide a step‑by‑step roll call within the snippets supplied here [1] [6] [2]. For a full, named roster and vote details, consult the House History archive and the Senate’s official page cited above [6] [2].