Rep. Doug Collins, the leading Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should be “embarrassed” by the procedural squabble that found her in violation of House rules this week.
“We can disagree violently even in our language, but there are certain things we cannot say,” Mr. Collins said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”
The House ruled that Mrs. Pelosi crossed a line and violated decorum on Tuesday when she said President Trump’s tweets about Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib were racist by invoking anti-immigrant rhetoric.
“These comments from the White House are disgraceful and disgusting and these comments are racist,” Mrs. Pelosi said.
“Every single member of this institution, Democratic and Republican, should join us in condemning the president’s racist tweets,” she continued. “To do anything less would be a shocking rejection of our values and a shameful abdication of our oath of office to protect the American people.”
House rules, dating back to Thomas Jefferson’s writings, prohibit members from using language that is “personally offensive” to the president, meaning they cannot comment on his character. Members are also prohibited from referencing “racial or other discrimination on the part of the President.”
Once the House rules a member out of order, the full body must vote on whether to strike the offending remarks from the official record, and whether that particular lawmaker can regain their right to speak on the House floor that day.
Democrats rallied behind Mrs. Pelosi and voted against punishing the speaker.
The resolution that was up for a vote also explicitly called the president’s remarks “racist.”
Mr. Collins said it was a disrespectful double standard that Mrs. Pelosi should not consider a victory.
“It was a moment that, frankly, brought dishonor to the House,” he said. “This shows your how dysfunctional this Democratic majority has been.”
Mrs. Pelosi said her comments spoke “truth to power” in a tweet following the incident.
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.