Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA)At the beginning of this Congress, Democrats and Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee agreed to set rules for hearings.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), in an attempt to ‘own the Libs,’ added an amendment to the rules requiring the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. Democrats voted in favor.
At the first hearing, Gaetz invited a man who, after an armed stand-off with Michigan police, was arrested and charged with murder, assault with intent to commit murder, and two counts of felony firearm possession.
At today’s hearing, Republicans dropped the pledge.
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) slammed Gaetz for bringing an accused murderer to the House of Representatives.
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) slams Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) for bringing “somebody that he met at a gun club” to the first House Judiciary Committee hearing to lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
Turns out, Gaetz’s honored guest was charged with killing a family member in April 2019. pic.twitter.com/15Dzmo343u
— The Recount (@therecount) February 28, 2023
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Here’s the transcript of Swalwell’s speech:
“Mr. Gaetz wanted to offer an amendment to say the Pledge of Allegiance. That’s great. Every single person on our side supported that. Now, I don’t think he really genuinely cares about saying the Pledge of Allegiance, but he wanted to do it again to own the libs and to see if we would vote against it. We didn’t.
“But who did he bring in here to say the Pledge of Allegiance? Who did he parade in here? Someone he met at a gun club. Mr. Cicilline, you had the crazy idea that maybe we should vet the people who come in here, make sure they’re not insurrectionists.
“Mr. McClintock – I am not kidding you – Mr. McClintock said, ‘Well, it’s not like we’re gonna invite somebody who committed murder.’ No, he literally said that. ‘It’s not like we’re going to invite somebody who committed murder.’
“Who did Mr. Gaetz bring? He brought Corey Beekman. Corey Beekman – in 2019 – was in a standoff with the Michigan police. After, he was arrested and charged with murder, assault with intent to commit murder, and two counts of felony firearm possession. The family of the victims said Mr. Gaetz doing that, it was like getting a dagger stuck in our heart again.
“That’s why there’s a trust deficit here. You pull off a public stunt to try and own the libs, and what you did was you brought in the guy who allegedly shot two people and killed one of them.
“That’s where the trust deficit is. So you can play your games, conduct your stunts. We’re here to get shit done.”
A month ago, to try & own the Libs, Matt Gaetz passed an amendment to say the Pledge of Allegiance before every Judiciary hearing. Every Dem supported. And for 1st hearing, Gaetz asked an accused murderer to say it. At today’s Judiciary hearing…Republicans dropped the pledge.
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) February 28, 2023