They say the worst thing you can call a racist is a racist.
Chaos erupted among members of the GOP House yesterday when New York’s newly elected representative Mondaire Jones called them for being “racist trash” during a speech on Washington, DC.
In his remarks, Jones targeted Rep. Jody Hice’s ludicrous claim that DC has no dumps, as well as Senator Tom Cotton’s racially charged contrast between DC and a “well-balanced working class state.” like Wyoming.
“I had no idea there were so many syllables in the word ‘white’,” Jones said of Cotton’s argument. Then he accused Republicans of making “racist innuendos that the people of Washington, DC are incapable or even unworthy of our democracy.”
“My God. With all the racist garbage my colleagues have brought to this debate, I can see why my colleagues are worried about where to put it,” the openly gay lawmaker said. “The truth is, is it? that there is no good faith argument to deprive 700,000 people, most of whom are people of color. ”
DC carries three electoral votes in the presidential elections but is not represented in the Senate and its House delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton, is not allowed to vote on the legislation. Almost 50% of the city’s population is black.
A Republican colleague of mine opposed #DCStatehood because DC doesn’t have its own dump.
With all the racist trash they’ve espoused in this debate, it’s no wonder they’re worried about where to put it. https://t.co/8cYQlx4Bq1
– Mondaire Jones (@MondaireJones) April 22, 2021
Jones’ comments sparked Republicans, especially Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland, who stood up and demanded that the remarks be written off from Congress.
In a statement to Forbes, Harris said Jones’ “inappropriate” words were “unworthy of a representative and violated the rules of the House”, especially at a “time of growing discord.”
Jones eventually agreed to withdraw his comments, but not before noting that “the GOP’s desperate objections are about fear.”
“Fear that in Washington, their white supremacist policy will no longer play out,” he declared. “Fear that soon enough white supremacist politics will not work anywhere in America. Be concerned that if they don’t rig our democracy, they won’t win.
The House voted along party lines to approve legislation that would make DC the 51st state. The bill now goes through the Senate, where it is expected to be skyrocketing.
White House Biden officially declared its support for the legislation on Tuesday, saying it would give Washington residents “long overdue full representation in Congress.”
Graham Gremore is editor and editor at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
