Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz did his best impression of an angry toddler during Monday’s impeachment hearing, and one of the Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee made him pay.
During his tantrum, Rep. Gaetz – one of Trump’s most shameless defenders – falsely accused Democrats in the House of being so focused on impeachment that they haven’t accomplished anything for the American people.
“Why won’t you help us move along the critical issues that are far more important than your partisan impeachment?” the GOP lawmaker yelled.
Democratic Rep. David Cicilline calmly shot back, “Let me begin by dispelling the claim that Mr. Gaetz just made. This has been one of the most productive Congresses in modern history.”
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Video:
Thank you for slapping down Matt Gaetz’s complete nonsense, @DavidCicilline! pic.twitter.com/0pYqeKL8wj
— Matt Rogers 🎙 (@Politidope) December 9, 2019
Rep. Cicilline said:
Let me begin by dispelling the claim that Mr. Gaetz just made. This has been one of the most productive Congresses in modern history. We’ve passed nearly 400 pieces of legislation that respond to the urgent priorities of the American people: driving down healthcare costs, raising wages for the American worker, responding to gun violence, providing equal pay for equal work, responding to the climate crisis. 275 of those bills are fully bipartisan, and 80 percent of those bills are sitting on the Senate Majority Leader’s desk awaiting action. So we will continue to deliver on the important priorities of the American people, but we were also elected to hold this president accountable and we took an oath of office that said to protect and defend the Constitution and that’s what we’re engaged in today.
House Democrats have passed hundreds of bills
It’s no surprise that Rep. Matt Gaetz is knowingly spewing nonsense in order to defend the president. Since taking office in 2017, being a spineless Trump hack has been his chief accomplishment.
But as I wrote last month and as Rep. Cicilline reminded the Florida congressman on Monday, Democrats have passed 400 bills since they took control of the House of Representatives.
The reason they haven’t advanced to the president’s desk for a signature isn’t due to the impeachment process. It’s because Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell – the self-proclaimed grim reaper of Congress – has refused to bring them to a vote.
While Republicans lie in defense of this corrupt president, Democrats have simultaneously passed meaningful legislation and kept their promise to hold Donald Trump accountable.
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Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
