Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday rejected calls that he take action against George Santos, saying voters would have another chance two years from now to elect a new representative.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy: “In America today, you’re innocent 'til proven guilty. So, just because somebody doesn't like the press you have, it’s not me that can have — can oversay what the voters say. The voters are the power. The voters made the decision, and he has a right to serve here. If there is something that rises to the occasion that he did something wrong, then we’ll deal with that at that time.”

Speaker McCarthy also signaled Santos remains eligible to serve on House committees. His defense of Santos came after he confirmed that three prominent Democratic congressmembers — Adam Schiff, Eric Swalwell and Ilhan Omar — would be barred from serving on House committees. Congresswoman Omar said she believes McCarthy singled her out over her religious faith, telling HuffPost, “I do not actually think that he has a reason outside of me being Muslim and thinking I should not be.”