Democrats narrowly struck down a resolution by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday to denounce Democratic congressman Maxine Waters, after she encouraged protesters in Minnesota to “ stay on the streets ” and “ become more confrontational ” if they don’t get a guilty verdict returned in the Derek Chauvin process regarding the death of George Floyd.
The House voted to file Resolution 216-210 along party lines. This was a victory for the Democratic leaders of the House, as they could only afford two Democratic renegades in the vote. There had been zero defections on either side, with all Democrats in attendance voting at the table and all Republicans voting to continue. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and majority leader Steny Hoyer were spotted through the doors of the room speaking to members as they entered, indicating how important the vote was to the Democratic leaders.
After the vote, Waters said, “I love my co-workers and they love me. I don’t want to do anything to hurt them or hurt their chances of re-election. I’ll make them feel comfortable with my kind of advocacy. so we can all be sure that we can do the right thing. “
McCarthy called Waters ‘comments’ under the dignity ‘of the House and said in a tweet that’
Trending news
Trending news More
“I hope we get a verdict that says guilty, guilty, guilty,” she said.
Her comments also came after the death of Daunte Wright, a black man murdered by a Minnesota police officer.
When reporters asked Waters this weekend what to do if justice weren’t served in the courts in the Chauvin trial, Waters replied, “We need to stay on the street. And we need to get more active. We need to become confrontational. that we mean it. ”
After Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts, second-degree and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, Waters said, “You know someone said it better than me,“ I’m not celebrating, I’m relieved. ‘”
In her comments to The Grio on Monday, she did not shrink from her comments and said she was “nonviolent”. She accused the Republicans of twisting her words and using them as an opportunity to raise money.
“Republicans jump at every word, every line and try to make it fit their message and their reason for denouncing and denying us, in fact calling us violent … every time they see an opportunity to make a Word, so they do it and they send a message to all the white supremacists, the KKK, the Oath Keepers, the [Proud] Guys and all that, what is this time for [Republicans] to collect money [Democrats] backs, ”Waters said to The Grio.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also defended Waters’s comments, stating that Waters had “talked about confrontation in the way of the civil rights movement,” saying, “No, I don’t think she should apologize.”
Republicans have accused Waters of fueling tensions. Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said she would file a resolution to kick Waters out of the House, a highly unlikely scenario.
Waters has served as a member of Congress since 1991 and is the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee.
Nikole Killion and Rebecca Kaplan contributed to this report.