House Democrats may strike back against Republicans who sought to censure Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters of California over comments Waters made prior to the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial.
Last weekend, Waters made a pit stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, on Saturday to whip up a crowd of protesters angry over the death of Daunte Wright, 20, a black man shot by a white police officer after a traffic stop. While she was there, she was asked about what should happen if Chauvin was not convicted in the death of George Floyd.
“We’ve got to stay on the street and we’ve got to get more active, we’ve got to get more confrontational. We’ve got to make sure that they know that we mean business,” she said, according to Fox News.
Republicans forced a House vote to censure Waters, but Democratic discipline prevailed and the motion went down to defeat 216-210, according to Politico.
Some Democrats now want revenge, according to The Hill.
Democratic Rep. Jimmy Gomez of California lost no time in targeting Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia over her effort to create a caucus promoting “Anglo-Saxon political traditions.”
“[E]veryone — including House Republican leadership — knew this stunt was nothing more than an effort to promote white supremacy in the United States Congress,” Gomez wrote colleagues to get their support.
“From her open support for political violence against our colleagues to her brazen promotion of anti-Semitism and racism, there is no shortage of reasons as to why Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is unfit to serve in this legislative body. I hope everyone — both Republicans and Democrats — will join me in this endeavor to ensure our collective safety and preserve our democracy,” Gomez wrote.
His proposal had 72 co-sponsors as of last week.
Chairwoman Waters’ actions are beneath the dignity of this institution.
They raised the potential for violence, directed lawlessness, and may have interfered with a co-equal branch of government.
I just introduced this censure resolution to hold her accountable. pic.twitter.com/cGuEFNNqZo
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) April 20, 2021
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said GOP action to force a vote on Waters made it more difficult to spare Republicans whose comments around the time of the Capitol incursion can be used against them
“As my friend the leader knows, we haven’t had all the resolutions that have been introduced on my side of the aisle,” the Maryland Democrat said, according to The Hill.
“This makes it harder, however, not to proceed on numerous resolutions on my side of the aisle,” he said.
“I think all of us on our side of the aisle are very concerned about the aid and comfort that the rhetoric of some and the actions of some gave to those who committed criminal insurrection against the United States of America and against our democracy on January 6,” Hoyer said.
“So we’re still very concerned about that, and action is still possible on that.”
Democratic Rep. Susan Wild of Pennsylvania said she did not care for what Waters said, but noted that it needed to be balanced against what Republican members said around the time of the Jan. 6. incursion, according to Politico.
“I had to weigh it long and hard because of the votes we’ve taken earlier this year,” Wild said, referring to House action that removed Greene from her committee assignments over past rhetoric. “I don’t think it rises to that level. But it was not an easy vote.”
The final verdict on the impact of Waters’ remarks is not yet in. Chauvin’s defense sought to use the comment to have a mistrial declared. That effort failed, but the judge in Chauvin’s trial noted that the comment may provide grounds for an appeal.
