U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (D-Ga.) can’t resist arguing with reporters as she passes through congressional security on Jan. 12.
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (D-Ga.) publicly responded Friday (Feb. 5) to her removal from two committees the night of the 4th. She said she felt “free” because she believed that under a Democratic administration, conservative voices could not be heard.
Green told the media outside the Capitol on Friday, “I accept being kicked off the committees because that (being on a committee) would be a waste of my Time. So, now I have a lot of free time.”
“I feel free.” She said, “You know, what’s happening within these committees …… we’re basically an authoritarian controlled government right now.”
The House took the unprecedented step Thursday (4) of organizing a full House vote to remove Green from two committees, citing her social media comments advocating violence and conspiracy theories before she was elected to Congress in November.
The vote on the 4th went largely along party lines, with all Democrats plus 11 Republicans voting yes, and Greene is no longer a panelist on the House Education and Labor Committee and the House Budget Committee.
Green was sworn in only in early January and subsequently appointed to both panels by House Republican leaders. House Republican leaders, while condemning Greene’s past inappropriate comments, also sought to block Greene from being removed by Democrats.
Greene apologizes for past comments such as supporting QAnon
Greene said she had the opportunity to give a floor speech on the House floor on the 4th and regretted her past comments supporting QAnon and conspiracy theories.
“I have to say that I did something wrong …… I have to say, ‘I said the wrong thing. I was wrong about what I believed in the past.'” She said.
Green, who represents Northwest Georgia, acknowledged that losing her seat on the budget and education committees meant the House “deprived me of a voice to represent the district.”
She said she will continue to advance former President Donald Trump‘s policies in Congress and spend more time spreading the “America First” message across the country.
“Republican voters still support him,” Green said of Trump. “This party is his. It doesn’t belong to anybody else.”
Green spoke with Trump just days ago, when she said America’s internal enemy is socialism.
Asked by a CNN reporter why she had not specifically apologized for endorsing violence against Democratic leaders, Green declined to get into specifics and asked rhetorically, “I want to know, have you [CNN] apologized for the Russia conspiracy theory?”
Green said neither she nor Trump was responsible for the Jan. 6 violent attack on the Capitol and that those who broke into Congress should be held accountable, and she slammed the upcoming impeachment trial as a “circus” trick.
“Conservative Republicans have no say”
Green tweeted early Friday that kicking her out of the committee was giving her more time to run for office.
“I woke up early this morning all smiles thinking that the Democrats (plus 11 Republicans) are a bunch of idiots for giving some people like me free time.” Green tweeted the morning after he was stripped of power. “In this Democratic dictatorship, conservative Republicans don’t have a say in committees anyway. This is going to be fun!”
Democrats say punishing Greene is for the good of Congress
Democrats claim that because Republicans refuse to punish Greene for his history of inflammatory statements, they are being forced to take action against Greene to save face in Congress.
“Serving on a committee is not an entitlement. It is a unique distinction. When someone encourages violence against a member, they should lose that unique distinction,” said Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mich.), chairman of the House Rules Committee.
But Republicans argue that the Democrats’ move is a double standard. Republican Rep. Brian Babin tweeted Tuesday (2) that Democrats are applying a double standard by punishing Green while downplaying the misconduct of members of their own party.
He pointed out that Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-N.Y.) had made anti-Israel comments and publicly stated, without evidence, that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) paid politicians to take a pro-Israel position, and that Omar was subsequently criticized by the public for anti-Semitism. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) only reprimanded Omar, and she was allowed to remain on the committee after Omar apologized for her comments.
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