Freshman New York Republican Congressman George Santos has been handed two committee assignments, including one on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, which oversees NASA.
MSNBC’s Ryan Nobles reports Santos, who is seen by many as a serial liar and is under investigation on multiple fronts, also landed a seat on the House Small Business Committee. Nobles reports Speaker Kevin McCarthy defended allowing the New York Republican two seats, citing “protocol.”
According to its government website, the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology has broad jurisdiction across many areas. Some could pose potential national security risks.
The committee has jurisdiction over all research and development in critical areas including energy, astronautical and outer space, civil aviation, the environment, marine research, commercial application of energy technology, and standardization of weights and measures and the metric system.
READ MORE: McCarthy Runs Defense for Santos
In addition to NASA it also oversees the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Science Foundation, and the National Weather Service.
Last week Santos suggested he would like to sit on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, promising that he was a “workhorse.”
Incoming new chair of the Small Business Committee, Rep. Roger Williams, appeared to attempt to normalize Santos by claiming, “he represents a million people.” That’s false. Current Census projections show Santos represents about 746,000 people.
On social media reactions went from anger to laughter.
The political action committee MeidasTouch tweeted an image of Santos in an astronaut’s uniform.
U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) was quick to mock Santos, saying, “I’m very excited to learn that a Nobel Prize-winning physicist and astronaut is joining the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.”
Actual former NASA Astronaut and retired U.S. Navy Captain Scott Kelly mocked the New York Republican, tweeting: “Awesome to have former NASA astronaut and moon walker, Representative George Santos … on the House Science Space and Technology Committee. To infinity and beyond!”
Attorney, former federal prosecutor, and former Republican Ron Filipkowski also mocked Santos, appearing to suggest national security concerns: “Because we want George Santos to have access to the information that comes into the Science, Space & Tech Committee,” he tweeted.
The Lincoln Project’s Rick Wilson sarcastically tweeted, “Well, the science committee will certainly benefit from having Dr. George Santos as its first Nobel prize winner in physics on the panel.”
Writer and human rights activist Leah McElrath, also sarcastically, tweeted: “It’s totally cool and not at all concerning that Santos will have access to US secrets as part of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee…”
Presidential historian Michael Beschloss: “Hope that Santos does not claim to have a BS in Science.”
Deputy Chief of Staff to U.S. Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), Aaron Fritschner, responding to Santos’ apparent hope to be put on the House Science and Technology Committee, last week sarcastically denounced any such attempt.
“Flagging that Santos suggests he’d be a good fit for the House Science Committee. As the spox [spokesperson] for a longtime member of that committee, I do think we could benefit from his experience as a former astronaut, biomedical researcher, and Nobel Prize-winning nuclear physicist,” Fritschner wrote.
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