For accountability,
Debra Schrishuhn for the PDA National Team

Gosar Censured, Loses Committee Assignments

Yesterday the U.S. House voted to censure Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar for posting an anime video depicting him murdering his colleague Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and attacking President Biden. He was also removed from his committee assignments.

All Democrats and 2 Republicans voted in favor of the censure, one Republican voted present, 3 Republicans did not vote, and 207 Republicans voted against the censure. Gosar took down the video, then retweeted it after the censure, then removed it again.  He has not apologized, claiming the video is merely a “symbolic cartoon” about immigration policy and saying falsely that he does not “espouse violence or harm towards any Member of Congress or Mr. Biden.”

A few Republicans have said the violent video is inappropriate, but the Republican leadership (looking at you, Kevin McCarthy) was silent until Democrats introduced the censure resolution, and then made protests about process and promises of retribution when Republicans next control the House.

“What is so hard? What is so hard about saying that this is wrong?” Ocasio-Cortez asked during the House floor debate on the censure resolution.

PDA refuses to remain silent when elected officials threaten violence against their colleagues. Violent speech leads to violent action. Gosar is the culprit here, but he has been enabled by the silence and tepid response of the Republican Party.

Help PDA hold our elected officials accountable. Click here for the roll call vote. Please call your Representative and thank or admonish them for their vote. Let us know if you act.

Then donate what you can to help PDA maintain our vigilance on democracy, expand voting rights, and elect more progressives to Congress.