On Friday, the Democratic-led House of Representatives passed H.R. 2116, also known as the CROWN Act, which would ban discrimination based on hairstyles and hair textures—a form of discrimination that disproportionately targets Black Americans.
Ahead of the bill's passage, Representatives debated the issue on the floor, with House Republicans like Jim Jordan of Ohio vocally opposing the bill, decrying it as a distraction from their laundry list of grievances with President Joe Biden's administration.
But their opposition comes shortly after a rift among GOP members regarding the participation of far-right Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Paul Gosar of Arizona at the America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC) late last month. AFPAC is a white nationalist gathering led by unapologetic racist and antisemite Nick Fuentes.
Both Greene and Gosar spoke at the event, earning backlash from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and a soft denouncement from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
McCarthy called their participation "appalling" and "unacceptable," but has yet to take any concrete actions to discipline the members of his caucus. McCarthy claimed he met with Greene and received assurances that she wouldn't attend further AFPAC gatherings. He has yet to meet with Gosar, who had already attended multiple AFPAC events.
As the House debated the CROWN Act, Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu of California called attention to Greene's and Gosar's further endorsement of white nationalist values, as well as McCarthy's inaction.
Watch below.
Lieu: Let me now tell you all the actions that House Republican leadership took against these two Republican members who attended and spoke at a white nationalist conference
…
I yield back pic.twitter.com/hfzEQqdvKf
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 18, 2022
After touting Democrats' passage of the American Rescue Plan last year, Lieu said:
"What are Republicans doing? I don't know, but I do know that two of them attended a white nationalist conference last month. And let me now tell you all the actions that House Republican leadership took against these two Republican members who attended and spoke at a white nationalist conference last month."
Lieu stood silently for about 15 seconds, before saying:
"I yield back."
The point was made.
When silence is STILL a "mic drop" moment. https://t.co/bk3zJhaFUx
— john vella (@johnvella) March 18, 2022
White Nationalism and protecting the privileged of this nation economically has been the primary platform of the #TrumpGOP. https://t.co/NnJ9Pxu70H
— KevinScots (@KevoftheDesert) March 18, 2022
Epic. https://t.co/XVU1SysZEe
— Mark Hill (@HuntingtonHound) March 18, 2022
But the @gop officially censured @RepKinzinger and @RepLizCheney for being on the 1/6 committee.
The @gop wants a white, theocratic ethnostate. https://t.co/RkLCvn6eeV
— The SoCalian (@kh2o) March 18, 2022
Deafening silence by the GOP leadership speaks volumes. 🦗 https://t.co/BM8WfrR9RX
— Chris "Restore Sanity" 2022 🌻 (@CChang1124) March 18, 2022
Social media users gave high praise to the moment.
Great Ted Talk!
Definitely will be voting for @tedlieu to represent my district again! https://t.co/UFF8Gp1Z32
— Heather Gardner (@heathergtv) March 18, 2022
Ted Lieu is such a badass https://t.co/Ujeq5z9VVQ
— Ace Degenerate (@BigCTheG) March 18, 2022
Way to go Rep Lieu!! https://t.co/E9Vt7kl8qC
— Rosemarie Lane 🇺🇸🏴☠️🏝🎣🐶 (@KeysMom1031) March 18, 2022
Perfect. https://t.co/CRpUHBcZZ0
— Steve Marmel 💉 💉 💉 (@Marmel) March 18, 2022
Lieu has continued to call out Republicans on Twitter for speaking at white nationalist conferences.
@ElizLanders/X