There is a developing story from Capitol Hill where tensions between Democrats and Republicans are reaching a new boiling point. Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace of South Carolina is moving to expel New Jersey Democrat LaMonica McIver from the U.S. House of Representatives. The move follows recent federal charges filed by the Justice Department, alleging McIver assaulted a law enforcement officer specifically, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent during an altercation outside a Newark migrant detention facility earlier this month.
While McIver has strongly denied the accusations, stating she was the one assaulted, Mace argues the incident has undermined public trust in the integrity of Congress. In a sharp rebuke, she introduced a resolution declaring that McIver must be held to “the highest standards of conduct.” However, Mace is not pushing for an immediate floor vote and instead is letting the House Ethics Committee handle the matter — at least for now.
McIver responded to the effort with a post on social media platform X, stating, “In the South, I think they say, bless her heart.” The incident has sparked a wider partisan clash. Fellow New Jersey Democrats Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rob Menendez, who were present during the scuffle, are also facing Republican-backed disciplinary efforts. Congressman Buddy Carter of Georgia has filed a resolution calling for all three to be stripped of their committee assignments, while South Carolina’s William Timmons is seeking a formal censure and an Ethics Committee investigation into McIver’s actions.
Despite these escalating actions, House Speaker Mike Johnson has indicated that an expulsion vote is unlikely to succeed, reminding reporters that such a measure requires a two-thirds majority, a high bar in a closely divided chamber. Still, Johnson said Republicans are weighing “appropriate” responses.
Mace, referencing the high-profile expulsion of former Republican Congressman George Santos, suggested a precedent has been set. Santos was ousted by a bipartisan vote in 2023 after being charged with numerous crimes, including wire fraud and money laundering. He was sentenced just last month to seven years in prison.
Meanwhile, Democrats are standing firmly behind McIver, asserting that she and her colleagues were fulfilling their duty to conduct oversight at the detention center.
As the Ethics Committee prepares to weigh in, the political fallout and the partisan firestorm are far from over.
Reporting by Katy Moore.
