Republican representative Matt Gaetz launched into a tirade at a House Judiciary Committee after a black congressman from Louisiana accuse...
Republican representative Matt Gaetz launched into a tirade at a House Judiciary Committee after a black congressman from Louisiana accused the Republicans of 'concious bias' in their policing act.
The Florida politician had the tense exchange with Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA) while the Democrat offered comments about the Justice in Policing Act.
Richmond was speaking to his frustration with Republican efforts to include language in the legislation geared towards Antifa.
'By the time I am finished you will be clear that we are not good friends,' Richmond said before explaining that he had experienced police brutality and feared for his son.
The Florida politician had the tense exchange with Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA) while the Democrat offered comments about the Justice in Policing Act
'To my colleagues, especially the ones who keep introducing amendments that are a tangent and a distraction to what we are talking about, you all are white males, you have never lived in my shoes and you do not know what it is like to be an African American male,' Richmond declared.
The Democrat shared that he was fine with voting on the bill in its present state but really stressed that he did not have time for the partisan politics.
He said: 'Please don't come in this committee room and make a mockery of the pain that exists in my community.'
Richmond mentioned that during various voting rights bills of the 60s, politicians struck the bills down in their votes because of 'side issues.'
Richmond was speaking to his frustration with Republican efforts to include language in the legislation geared towards Antifa
'This is a crisis. People are losing their lives. So if we want to fix, fix it in another bill or at another time,' he added. 'People are dying as we talk. I am not interested in moving at a snail's pace. I'm not interested in a watered-down bill that mandates nothing.'
Richmond stressed that he wasn't interested in addressing 'Antifa, the Klan or sovereign citizens.'
'That is not the imminent threat that Black men face on a daily basis,' Richmond said, calling 'law enforcement' the danger people faced in the community.
Richmond said Republicans appeared to be exhibiting 'conscious bias,' which he stressed he did not want to assume in their behavior, which finally prompted a response from Gaetz.
The Florida politician - who is not married nor does he have any children - asked the Richmond if he was insinuating that Republican congressmen did not have any children who were 'non-white'
The Florida politician - who is not married nor does he have any children - then asked the Richmond if he was insinuating that Republican congressmen did not have any children who were 'non-white.'
Richmond quickly shot back: 'Matt, I am not about to get sidetracked about the color of our children. I reclaim my time!'
He acknowledged that people on 'the other side had black grand children,' but that it wasn't about the color of their children's skin.
'Its about black males, black people getting killed in the streets and if one of them happens to be your kid, I'm concerned about him too, and clearly I'm more concerned about him than you are,' Richmond said.
'You're claiming you are more concerned about my family than I am,' he said. 'Who in the hell do you think you are?'
'If the shoe fits,' Richmond stated. 'A kicked dog hollers'
It was then that Gaetz began shouting at Richmond.
'You're claiming you are more concerned about my family than I am,' he said. 'Who in the hell do you think you are?'
Richmond kept his cool as Gaetz screamed and raged about the Democrat's comment.
He demanded that the comments be struck from the record while Richmond stayed shot back his own witty remarks.
'If the shoe fits,' Richmond stated. 'A kicked dog hollers.'
As Gaetz had to be called on to collect himself, Richmond got one last comment off.
He asked: 'Was that a nerve?'
'You're damn right it was a nerve,' Gaetz mouthed off.
Folks on Twitter rallied to give Richmond their support while slamming the conservative politician for his tantrum and antics.
Folks on Twitter rallied to give Richmond their support while slamming the conservative politician for his tantrum and antics
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