GOP Congressman Defends Vote to Remove Greene from Committees: I Voted My Conscience, Democrats Should Be Held to Same Standard

Eleven Republicans joined Democrats Thursday on the House vote to strip Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of her committee assignments. One of them appeared on CNN Friday to defend his vote.

Congressman Carlos Gimenez (R- FL) told Wolf Blitzer that despite what Greene herself, Republicans voting that way “is not going to cost us the majority” in 2022, but being attached to QAnon and conspiracy theories might.

“I had to vote my conscience and I felt that she should not be, especially, on the education committee,” he said.

Gimenez added he hasn’t gotten a blow of blowback from colleagues.

At one point Blitzer brought up the argument from some Republicans that parties should be addressing this issue themselves and that the full House taking these votes sets a bad precedent.

Gimenez agreed it sets a precedent but added that he wants Democrats “to be held to the same standard as well” with their members, saying, “I look towards the Democrats and some of the members that they’ve had that have made some anti-Semitic remarks, had some interesting conspiracy theories of their own.”

At one point Blitzer pressed Gimenez on his vote objecting to the 2020 election results. Gimenez defended that vote too, while adding that he accepts Joe Biden won fairly.

You can watch above, via CNN.