The House held its first congressional hearing on gun violence prevention in almost a decade now that Democrats control the House. During the hearing, Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz had the father of a Parkland high school shooting kicked out.
It all started when Gaetz started blaming illegal immigration, not guns, for being the major factor behind public acts of violence (this is by far not true as illegal immigrants commit acts of violence at a much lower rate than citizens do).
Matt Gaetz uses illegal aliens slur, changes subject to immigration during gun violence hearing to try and paint it as a bigger problem.
Fact check: 15K Americans/year die from guns (excluding suicides). Immigrants commit less crimes than native citizens.pic.twitter.com/r5Uj8WYToo
— Adam Best (@adamcbest) February 6, 2019
“As we hear the stories and circumstances for those here, I hope we do not forget the pain and anguish and sense of loss felt by those all over the country who have been the victims of violence at the hands of illegal aliens,” Gaetz said. The proposed legislation “would not have stopped many of the circumstances I raised. But a wall, a barrier on the southern border may have.”
Gaetz comments were met with boos from the crowd. That’s when Manuel Oliver, father of 17-year-old Parkland shooting victim Joaquin Oliver, yelled at the congressman saying, “That’s not true!”
Gaetz then continued his lies about immigration when Oliver interrupted him two more times. That’s when Gaetz called on Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., to have victim’s father removed from the gallery.
Nadler declined to eject Oliver, saying the choice fell to his discretion.
“It is never permissible for members of the audience to comment or to vociferously object,” said Nadler. “This is a hearing for members of Congress and the witnesses. Everyone else is here as an observer.”
Rep. David Cicilline also fired back at Gaetz.
“Is there any committee rule a member of Congress from reciting false statements in a committee hearing that are unsupported by evidence?” Cicilline asked of the chairman. “Or are members of Congress entitled to make things up in support of specious arguments?”
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