Democrats are not only resurrecting the memory of January 6 when it comes to the 2024 presidential election--likely to be between Joe Biden and Donald Trump--but to go after their colleagues in Congress. On Wednesday, Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) announced a resolution to censure House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY).
From the House floor, the congressman announced that his censure against Stefanik was over her "providing aid, comfort, and support to the rioters and insurrectionists who violently attacked this Capitol on January 6, 2021 in an effort to undermine our democracy and illegally stop the peaceful transfer of power."
Goldman claimed that "since that attempted coup, Ms. Stefanik has repeatedly and persistently expressed support for the duly convicted insurrectionists." This included her mere word choice during the January 7 episode of NBC News' "Meet the Press." As Goldman put it, Stefanik was "echoing the inflammatory language of criminal defendant Donald Trump" when she "disgracefully referred to the January 6th insurrectionists in prison as, quote, hostages, unquote."
The congressman went on to say that "Ms. Stefanik's support of convicted criminals charged with offenses against the United States government, including attempted violence against members of this body, is simply unacceptable from a member of Congress."
Goldman also brought Stefanik's fight against antisemitism into the matter. "Nor is it acceptable for a member of Congress who purports to oppose antisemitism to equate convicted insurrectionists with the more than 130 Israeli hostages who remain subject to horrific conditions in Gaza," he said as his time expired.
Today, I introduced a resolution to censure @RepStefanik for supporting the Jan 6 insurrectionists, calling these convicted criminals “hostages.”
— Rep. Dan Goldman (@RepDanGoldman) January 18, 2024
There's no conduct more unbecoming than supporting those intent on subverting our democracy.
She's brought shame to our institution. pic.twitter.com/Ne3uKiuB0T
A press release from Goldman reads similarly. "January 6th was the gravest attack on American democracy since the Civil War and Congresswoman Stefanik’s persistent and continued support for the perpetrators of an insurrection is contemptuous," he claimed in a statement further going after the chairwoman. "In putting her personal ambitions over her integrity, Congresswoman Stefanik has been Donald Trump’s biggest congressional cheerleader, even though our mutual home state of New York overwhelmingly opposes him."
"By echoing Trump’s reference to the criminally convicted January 6 insurrectionists as 'hostages,' Congresswoman Stefanik both demeans the actual hostages currently held in captivity in Gaza and provides support for those who attacked the Capitol to prevent the peaceful transfer of power, caused the death of five law enforcement officers, injured more than 100 others, and threatened violence against members of Congress and their staffs. Her rhetoric betrays her oath of office and the House of Representatives and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms," Goldman continued, with the press release mentioning that he was speaking about officers who committed suicide in the months following January 6.
Goldman's press release and the resolution also went after Stefanik further for defending Trump from various indictments. "Since the attack, Congresswoman Stefanik has continued to support the January 6th insurrectionists by filing bogus and vindictive ethics complaints against a federal judge overseeing various criminal cases involving January 6th insurrectionists, falsely referring to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s indictment of Donald Trump as 'attempts to criminalize the First Amendment' and peddling conspiracy theories related to the 'Big Lie' that helped incite the January 6 insurrection," the press release continued.
The motion is not privileged, as The Hill explained on Wednesday, and Republicans have sharply criticized the effort:
Goldman plans to introduce the resolution at around 5 p.m. EST, his office told The Hill. The legislation is not, however, privileged, which means GOP leadership would have to choose to bring it to the floor for consideration — which is highly unlikely. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) called the effort “patently absurd.”
“The idea that he would use censure to attack a political opponent is just ridiculous,” he added.
The New York Times had more:
But [Goldman] said he did not plan to force quick action on the measure, as House rules allow any lawmaker to do.
“Our preference would be for Republicans to recognize that kind of rhetoric has to stop and find a spine and stand up to Donald Trump,” Mr. Goldman said in an interview. He said he would consider seeking to force a vote in the future, if G.O.P. leaders fail to take up the matter themselves, something that appears exceedingly unlikely.
🚨🚨Desperate corrupt Far Left House Democrats are attempting to force a vote to censure me for my unwavering support for the Constitution, the rule of law, and election integrity.
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) January 17, 2024
Democrats are in desperate free fall because they know President Trump will defeat Joe Biden this…
Censuring members used to be a rarity, and yet already three members have been censured during the 118th Congress, including Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) last June, Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) last November, and Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) last December.
That report from The New York Times casually mentions the reason Schiff was censured was "for his role investigating Mr. Trump," when it was how Schiff lied to and misled the American people with narratives about the Russian collusion hoax in the 2016 presidential election. Tlaib was censured for her falsehoods on the Israel-Hamas conflict, and Bowman was censured for pulling a fire alarm in the House building when there was no fire.
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