House Republicans And Democrats Find Common Ground In Opposing GOP Member Hanging a ‘Wanted Poster’ For Judges Outside His Office
Top House Democrats and Republicans agreed during a House Rules Committee business meeting on judicial rulings Monday that judges must both be protected and calls for violence against them condemned.
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) began the exchange by calling for condemnation of Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) hanging a “wanted poster” for judges outside his office.
“I do want to ask unanimous consent to insert in the record, this is one floor below my office in front of Representative Ogle’s office, wanted posters of judges. It says, ‘No Get Trump Judicial Activists. Wanted.’ And this is the kind of stuff that some of us are asking there to be universal condemnation about. I mean, this is threatening to these judges and has no place in the halls of Congress. I ask unanimous consent to insert–” McGovern said as Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) interjected:
Not only would we want that, but this committee has had a long history of providing security. We are currently redacting the addresses and other information. So the one place that you will find, we won’t be in front of you, except united is on the security on the judges.
“Can we get some agreement that members who put these posters up in front of our offices will take them down?” McGovern pressed.
“I don’t believe we should be putting up pictures of judges,” replied Issa, who was speaking before the committee representing the Judiciary Committee.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) jumped in to say, “And I thank Mr. Issa for saying that. I would hope also that all of the calls to impeach judges because members disagree with their opinions should be retracted, or at least that should cease immediately, because that is creating the climate in which-”
“We should all be able to condemn this,” McGovern insisted.
“I think everybody should condemn that. I’m glad to hear Mr. Issa agrees that that should not be going up. But I think the whole thing about talking about impeaching judges who ruled in the birthright citizenship case, or impeaching judges who are protecting our social security data, is very dangerous. And look, Judge Boesberg’s daughter has been the subject of an online campaign of vilification and intimidation, and Justice Barrett’s sister got-” Raskin added, referring to calls to impeach judges who ruled against President Donald Trump.
Committee Chairwoman Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) cut in, “Thank you, Mr. Raskin. Thank you very much. I want to say, but I believe for all Republicans, we do not condone any calls for violence against anyone. Anyone. We do not condone calls for any violence against anyone. Period.”
Watch the clip above.
