House Votes 230-199 To Remove Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene From Committees

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) was removed from the House Education and Budget Committees on Thursday by a vote of 230-199, effectively ridding her of legislative authority. Greene was widely criticized for supporting QAnon and calling for violence against Democrats.

In a speech on the House floor, Greene began to backtrack on her previous statements. She claimed to believe that 9/11 “absolutely happened” and that school shootings were “absolutely real.” In the past, she has suggested that 9/11 and the Parkland, Florida school shooting were staged. Greene claimed that her past remarks  “do not represent me.” She even revealed that, as of 2018, she was no longer a QAnon follower, despite endorsing the group’s rhetoric in 2019. House Republicans have yet to take any action against Greene.

Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma) said of the House Democrats’ actions: “I truly believe that the majority claiming a new right to be able to exercise a veto over minority committee assignments will ultimately be dangerous for this institution. A change in norms away from an institution built on mutual consent and toward an institution where the majority holds a veto power over everything, including committee assignments, is ultimately an institution that cannot function.”

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-California) said, “If we are now going to start judging what other members have said before they are members of Congress, I think it will be a hard time for the Democrats to place anybody on committee.”

Article by Elizabeth Letsou