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House votes to censure Paul Gosar for video attacking Biden, AOC


The House of Representatives voted to censure Representative Paul Gosar (R-AZ) Wednesday in response to a video made by Rep. Gosar’s staff. It depicts Gosar violently attacking Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and President Joe Biden.

“There is absolutely no place for, of any kind of, no place for any violence of any sort in this political system,” White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said earlier this month. “It should not be happening and we should be condemning it.”

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) introduced the resolution. In a Tuesday interview, she said the video “crossed the line”.

“He’s promoting the killing of a seated member of Congress,” Rep. Speier said. “We cannot allow members of Congress to promote violence against other members of Congress.”

Ahead of the censure vote, Gosar had said he does not apologize for the video.

“This video had nothing to do with harming anybody,” Gosar said in an interview Tuesday. “It’s an anime. We were trying to reach out to the newer generation that likes these anime.”

He was supported by the group Americans for Limited Government.

“Any effort to remove Rep. Gosar from his committee is little more than partisan hackery and should be rejected,” Americans for Limited Government President Richard Manning said in a statement, according to a tweet from Gosar.

A censure resolution is the most severe form of punishment in the House, and they don’t pass often. Gosar has become just the 24th representative to ever be censured. The last censure resolution was approved in 2010, when former Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) was censured for financial misconduct.

Wednesday’s vote means Gosar will be removed from the Natural Resources committee and the Oversight and Reform committee. Rep Ocasio-Cortez is also on the Oversight and Reform committee.

Gosar is now the second Republican without any committee assignments. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) had assignments stripped back in February after she was accused of spreading hateful and violent conspiracy theories.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN A DECADE THE HOUSE HAS DECIDED TO CENSURE A MEMBER.

IT’S OVER THIS VIDEO FROM CONGRESSMAN PAUL GOSAR’S OFFICE.

THE ANIME CLIP DEPICTS GOSAR VIOLENTLY ATTACKING CONGRESSWOMAN ALEXANDRIA OCASIO CORTEZ AND PRESIDENT BIDEN.

HOUSE DEMOCRATS INTRODUCED A RESOLUTION TO CENSURE HIM AND REMOVE HIM FROM BOTH OF HIS COMMITTEE PLACEMENTS, INCLUDING HOUSE OVERSIGHT AND REFORM, WHERE HE SITS ALONGSIDE OCASIO-CORTEZ.

GOSAR TOOK DOWN THE VIDEO BUT SAID HE STANDS BY IT.

Rep. Paul Gosar: “I did not apologize. This video had nothing to do with harming anybody”/ BUTT TO “we were trying to reach out to the newer generation that likes these anime, these cartoons.””

Annie Andersen: A CENSURE RESOLUTION IS THE MOST SEVERE FORM OF PUNISHMENT IN THE HOUSE,  AND REQUIRES THE CENSURED MEMBER TO STAND IN THE WELL OF THE HOUSE WHILE THE RESOLUTION IS READ OUT LOUD.

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON  THE HOUSE AGREED TO THE RESOLUTION… CENSURING GOSAR AND REMOVING HIM FROM HIS PLACEMENTS.

THIS DOESN’T  HAPPEN OFTEN… THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED WAS IN 2010.

THE BILL SPONSOR SAYS SHE FELT SHE HAD TO MAKE A STAND.

Rep. Jackie Speier: “It crossed the line, Erin and that’s why I felt strongly about introducing the resolution. We cannot allow members of Congress to promote violence against other members of Congress.””

Annie Andersen: GOSAR JOINS MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE AS THE SECOND REPUBLICAN WITHOUT ANY COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS.

ONE THING TO REMEMBER…. WITH THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS COMING… HOUSE CONTROL CAN FLIP.

THAT MEANS REPUBLICANS COULD BE THE ONES VOTING ON PULLING DEMS FROM COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS.

STRAIGHT FROM DC I’M ANNIE ANDERSEN