Over a month has passed since George Santos took office, and his presence in Washington continues to embarrass our community and our country.

As you already know, his lies are endless. Among the worst offenders? His lies about:

• His grandparents being involved in the Holocaust.
• His mother being a 9/11 survivor.
• His employees dying in the Pulse Nightclub Shooting.
• Stealing $3,000 from a veteran's fundraiser for his dying service dog.

I have hosted over a dozen news conferences calling for Mr. Santos' removal. And I will continue to press on, no matter how long it takes, until our district rids itself of this conman.

But in the meantime, I'm taking action locally to ensure that the next George Santos never makes the ballot.

I'm proposing legislation called the G.E.O.R.G.E. PACKAGE: Get Egregious Officials Removed from Government Elections.

This package includes several law proposals to safeguard against individuals like Mr. Santos from ever getting elected in the first place. They include:

• Mandatory background checks for all candidates, just like every other employee is subjected to.
• Barring anyone with an open foreign arrest warrant from holding office.
• Making it a misdemeanor to lie about a candidate's education, employment history, address, and income sources.

The G.E.O.R.G.E. PACKAGE is not a guarantor against politicians lying to get elected. Rather it offers peace of mind to residents that they have an honest choice between two candidates, and gives insurance to voters that if candidates don't play by the rules, they, like us, will also be held accountable.

My hope is that versions of the G.E.O.R.G.E. PACKAGE pass in Mineola, in Albany, and in Washington. Therefore all across this state voters can breathe a collective sigh of relief that no matter which candidate wins, at least someone as morally bankrupt as George Santos won't be representing them.

I'll continue to keep you updated moving forward. Thank you for your continued support.

Josh Lafazan