Ryan Nicol
The U.S. House will vote on a Debbie Wasserman Schultz resolution Thursday seeking to strip Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia from her committee assignments.
Democrats had pressed Republican leadership to remove Greene from the Education and Labor Committee and the Budget Committee after reporters unearthed comments where Greene promoted lies that the Parkland and Sandy Hook shootings were staged, “false flag” events.
Those comments — along with several other conspiratorial and violent remarks — were made prior to Greene running for and winning a congressional seat. But Greene has refused to apologize as additional reports have dug up more of her worldview.
Wasserman Schultz and Rep. Ted Deutch — whose district covers Parkland — threatened to bring the resolution to a floor vote if House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy did not act to remove Greene on his own. In a Wednesday announcement, Democratic leadership signaled the House would move on that measure Thursday.
“I spoke to Leader McCarthy this morning, and it is clear there is no alternative to holding a Floor vote on the resolution to remove Rep. Greene from her committee assignments,” said House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland.
Wasserman Schultz floated the resolution idea last week, after footage resurfaced showing Greene haranguing Parkland survivor David Hogg over his gun control advocacy. Greene also backs QAnon theories and has voiced support for executing elected Democratic officials.
Deutch plans to testify Wednesday afternoon in favor of the resolution stripping Greene of her committee assignments.
“One of our most basic individual obligations is to uphold the public’s trust in democratic institutions, including this very body,” Deutch will say, according to an early preview of his remarks.
“Yet it would be impossible to maintain civic confidence in the integrity of the House if we were to normalize Ms. Greene’s behavior. We must affirm that this type of behavior is not, and will never be, tolerated in Congress.”
Some critics have said House members should expel Greene entirely. That would require a two-thirds vote, meaning a large chunk of GOP members would need to join the effort.
In the past, the House has been reluctant to expel members for conduct prior to taking office. That’s led Wasserman Schultz and other Democrats to say such an effort isn’t likely to succeed.
