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In a fiery exchange on the House floor, Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) launched a scathing rebuttal against Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) during a censure debate on Wednesday night. The intense verbal clash unfolded shortly before a crucial vote to censure Representative Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) for his alleged involvement in falsely triggering a fire alarm at the Capitol in September.
The debate centered on whether Bowman’s actions, which he claims were accidental, warranted censure—a public rebuke with no formal consequences. Republicans remained skeptical, pointing to Bowman’s guilty plea to a local criminal charge related to the incident. As the House deliberated on the matter, Greene took the floor in support of censure, advocating for a public rebuke similar to those who participated in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
“Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this censure resolution,” Greene asserted, drawing parallels between Bowman’s case and the legal actions taken against those involved in the Capitol riot. She has previously suggested that Bowman should face federal prosecution akin to the Department of Justice’s actions against the January 6 defendants, while downplaying the severity of the riot and claiming unfair treatment of those contesting the election results.
McGovern wasted no time in countering Greene’s arguments, highlighting her past actions and questioning her credibility on matters of civility. He pointedly recalled her disruptive behavior during a State of the Union address when she heckled President Joe Biden. McGovern also took issue with Greene’s apparent affinity for those present at the Capitol on January 6.
“Mr. Speaker, it’s really rich to get a lecture from someone about civility, who stood on this House floor and screamed and interrupted the president of the United States during the State of the Union,” McGovern retorted, garnering applause from fellow Democrats. “Or somebody who continues to circle the wagons and cheer on the insurrectionists who attacked this Capitol violently on January 6th. I was the last person off the House floor on that day, and I saw what happened. And for people to come down here and defend actions, it is pathetic and disgusting.”
The clash intensified as a motion to table the censure resolution against Bowman failed, setting the stage for a final vote on whether to rebuke the New York representative. McGovern, seemingly in a fighting mood throughout the day, labeled the Bowman censure resolution as “profoundly stupid” in other floor remarks.
As tensions run high on Capitol Hill, the censure debates underscore the deep divides within the House, with accusations, rebuttals, and heated exchanges shaping the discourse around accountability and consequences for lawmakers’ actions. The final vote on the censure resolution against Bowman promises to be a pivotal moment in this ongoing political drama.
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