Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) had some choice words for Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) at Tuesday’s meeting of the House Judiciary Committee.
Swalwell took the opportunity to note Gaetz’s proposal earlier this month requiring the Pledge of Allegiance be recited before each meeting.
“Mr. Gaetz wanted to offer an amendment to say the Pledge of Allegiance,” the Democrat recalled. “That’s great. Every single person on our side supported that. Now, I don’t think he really genuinely cares about saying the Pledge of Allegiance, but he wanted to do it again to own the libs and to see if we would vote against it. We didn’t.”
Swalwell then homed in on Gaetz’s choice to recite the pledge, a man named Corey Beekman, who was accused of murder.
“Mr. Cicilline, you had the crazy idea that maybe we should vet the people who come in here, make sure they’re not insurrectionists,” he continued. “Mr. McClintock – I am not kidding you – Mr. McClintock said, ‘Well, it’s not like we’re gonna invite somebody who committed murder.’ No, he literally said that. ‘It’s not like we’re going to invite somebody who committed murder.’”
Swalwell went on to note that Beekman was charged with shooting and killing one person and wounding another.
“Corey Beekman – in 2019 – was in a standoff with the Michigan police. After, he was arrested and charged with murder, assault with intent to commit murder, and two counts of felony firearm possession,” Swalwell continued. “The family of the victims said Mr. Gaetz doing that, it was like getting a dagger stuck in our heart again.”
Gaetz has said he did not know Beekman had been accused of murder and apologized to the victims’ families.
The charges were dropped after a witness whom Beekman allegedly shot refused to testify.
“That’s why there’s a trust deficit here,” the congressman added. “You pull off a public stunt to try and own the libs, and what you did was you brought in the guy who allegedly shot two people and killed one of them. That’s where the trust deficit is.”
Swalwell concluded, “So you can play your games, conduct your stunts. We’re here to get shit done.”
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