“Completely irrelevant” this is how the Democratic lawmaker criticized her Republican colleagues for introducing an amendment to the bill on Tuesday. The representatives from opposing parties argued over using law enforcement for political gain.
A shouting match ensued between Reps. Val Demings and Jim Jordan during a House committee hearing on a hate crimes bill. .” The amendment would prevent the defunding of police departments; however, the bill doesn’t include a provision to strip money from law enforcement.
“I served as a law enforcement officer for 27 years,” said Demings, who was formerly the police chief in Orlando. “It is a tough job, and good police officers deserve your support. You know, it’s interesting to see my colleagues on the other side of the aisle support the police when it is politically convenient to do so.”
Demings was criticizing an amendment introduced by Republicans that would prevent defunding of police departments, even though the bill it was seeking to amend doesn’t include a provision to take funds away from law enforcement.
Called the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act, the legislation seeks to provide incentives for reporting hate crimes, boost funding to state-run hate crime hotlines and increase penalties for people convicted under current hate crime statutes.
Demings said the amendment was “completely irrelevant.”
“I served as a law enforcement officer for 27 years,” said Demings, the former police chief in Orlando. “It is a tough job, and good police officers deserve your support. You know, it’s interesting to see my colleagues on the other side of the aisle support the police when it is politically convenient to do so.”
That’s when Jordan cut into her speech, prompting Demings to raise her voice and slam her hand on the table.
“I have the floor, Mr. Jordan,” she yelled. “What? Did I strike a nerve?”
She added, “Law enforcement officers deserve better than to be utilized as pawns, and you and your colleagues should be ashamed of yourselves.”
The chairman of the committee, Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., swiftly intervened and banged his gavel to tell Demings and Jordan not to interrupt each other, but they continued to shout over him.
Jordan tried to ask for a point of order to properly respond to Demings, but Nadler overruled him and allowed Demings to finish her part of the debate on the amendment.
Jordan also got into a similar shouting match last week with Reps. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., and Maxine Waters, D-Calif., during a hearing about the coronavirus with the government’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci.
When he began shouting questions at Fauci when it wasn’t his turn to speak over the objections of Clyburn, Waters told Jordan to “shut your mouth.”
Watch it here: Dinesh D’Souza/Youtube
Sources: USA TODAY, NBC NEWS, NEWS YAHOO
