Statements on Marjorie Taylor Greene

REP. ANDY KIM

“Today’s vote represented a choice: we could stand up for a way of governing that allows us to disagree without being disagreeable and to work out our differences through trust and civility, or we could allow our institutions to become sideshows where politicians use hate and division to pursue personal agendas. That choice is clear, and it’s why I voted to remove Congresswoman Greene from her committees.

Congresswoman Greene’s record – both past and present – does not reflect the kind of government we need to address the incredible challenges of our time. By spreading proven lies and anti-Semitic tropes, she has moved us further from the kind of government the American people deserve; one where service, not self, defines our priorities.

The seditious insurrection of January 6^th shows that Congresswoman Greene’s actions alone are not the extent of the problem we face as a country. The rise of violent extremism has exposed a crisis of community, civility and civics that threatens our democracy. The men and women who defaced our Capitol are only a symptom of deeper issues we face as a society that has ceded trust to a tyrannical hatred. We must come together to not only condemn the actions of those attackers, and their enablers like Congresswoman Greene, but to put forth solutions that address the root causes of their actions.

As I worked to pick up the pieces of the Capitol in the wake of the attack, I stand ready to work with my colleagues to repair our democracy and the society it is built upon.”

REP. ALBIO SIRES

“Tonight’s resolution, which removes Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene from the House Committee on the Budget and the House Committee on Education and Labor, was an appropriate step after her unacceptable comments came to light. Her continued endorsement of political violence is unacceptable and must be rebuked by my colleagues across the aisle if we wish to move forward from our current political climate. Further, her comments directed at a survivor of the Parkland school shooting were disturbing and demonstrate her incapacity to serve on the Committee of Education and Labor. Tonight’s vote was a clear reprimand of senseless conspiracy theories and political violence, which have no place in the House of Representatives and our society.”

REP. MIKIE SHERRILL

“Today’s resolution to remove Rep. Greene from her committees is an unprecedented action for an unprecedented situation. Rep. Greene has unabashedly supported conspiracy theories, racist and anti-Semitic ideology, and promoted the murder of elected officials. When asked by her own leadership to publicly apologize, she refused, and instead chose to double down on her hateful and conspiratorial statements.

“I had hoped not to have to take today’s vote to remove Rep. Greene from the Budget Committee and my committee of jurisdiction, the Education and Labor Committee. I had joined a letter to the Republican Conference asking them not to seat her on Ed and Labor, and I hoped that they would follow the precedent they themselves set in 2019, when Representative Steve King defended and promoted white nationalism. The Republican Conference took action and stripped him of his committee assignments after he refused to back down or apologize. Leader McCarthy said at the time “that is not the party of Lincoln and it’s definitely not American.” Rep. Greene has gone even further and promoted the murder of elected officials, including the Speaker. This eclipses Rep. King’s vitriolic remarks, and yet Leader McCarthy refuses to act.

“I don’t take this vote lightly. I am a former federal prosecutor, I take precedent seriously. But to have a member of the House of Representatives, an institution I dearly love and a critical part of our democracy, advocate violence against the Speaker and other elected members is an act I cannot condone and one that renders her unqualified to serve on a committee. And make no mistake, her tepid statement on the floor of the House was in no way an acknowledgment of guilt nor an apology. I wish that the Republican Conference had the courage to do the right thing. But in the absence of that, the full House of Representatives, in a bipartisan vote, had to fulfill our duties to the American people and strip Rep. Greene of her committee assignments.”