‘No To The Soviet Politburo!’ Wasserman Schultz Leads Dem Effort to Stop RFK Jr. ‘Degradation’ in Chaotic House Hearing Vote

At a House subcommittee hearing on Thursday, Democrats tore into witness Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz moving to take the hearing to an executive session because “Mr. Kennedy has repeatedly made despicable, anti-Semitic and anti-Asian comments as recently as last week,” which Republicans quickly rebuffed with their own vote, which included multiple outbursts and argument.

At Thursday’s censorship hearing held by the Judiciary Committee’s Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, RFK Jr. gave lengthy remarks during which he claimed he has “never uttered a phrase that was either racist or anti-Semitic.”

Prior to his remarks, Virgin Islands Democrat Del. Stacey Plaskett raised a point of order on limiting the time allotted to Kennedy’s opening statement, a dispute that ended with Republican chair Rep. Jim Jordan saying, “If you want to cut him off and censor him some more, you’re welcome to do it!”

Rather than cutting Kennedy off, Democrats waited for his full opening statement in order to have comments to respond to and highlight, and Wasserman Schultz did just that in making her motion.

“Pursuant to House Rule 11, Clause 2, which Mr. Kennedy is violative of, I move that we will move into executive session because Mr. Kennedy has repeatedly made despicable, anti-Semitic and anti-Asian comments as recently as last week.,” said the Florida Democrat.

As she read aloud from the rules, and then began to quote RFK Jr., Jordan interrupted, asking whether the Democrat was “making a motion or a speech.”

At that point, Louisiana Republican Rep. Mike Johnson made a motion to table Wasserman Schultz’s motion, asking “Is it the custom of this committee to censor viewpoints that we disagree with from witnesses?”

After some more arguing, Wasserman Schultz called for a roll call vote on the motion to table.

At multiple points, both Republicans and Democrats included editorial commentary with their vote, with Wasserman Schultz’s being the longest.

Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie voted “Yes to not censor.”

Plaskett voted, “No, I want to follow the rules that the Republicans made at the beginning of this conference with these House rules.”

Wasserman Schultz began her vote saying, “No to allowing a witness to degrade and demean others…,” and was interrupted by Jordan admonishing about making speeches, but she then finished her commentary, saying, “..,Because it violates the rules and not have his testimony and degradation and, it amplified rather than given an executive session.”

Virginia Democrat Rep. Gerry Connolly was cryptically succinct, voting, “No to the Soviet Politburo.”

California Democrat Rep. John Garamendi voted “no to hate speech,” eliciting a loud, “geez” from Jordan to wrap up the votes.

The motion to table was passed, the hearing did not therefore go to a closed executive session, and they moved on to the next witness.

RFK JR.: For all of our activities. Thank you very much.

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I’d like to raise, I’d like to raise a point of order.

JORDAN: Gentlelady will state a point of order.

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Point of order. Pursuant to House Rule 11, Clause 2, which Mr. Kennedy is violative of, I move that we will move into executive session because Mr. Kennedy has repeatedly made despicable, anti-Semitic and anti-Asian comments as recently as last week. Rule 11, Clause 2 says, “whenever it is asserted by a member of the committee that the evidence or testimony at a hearing may tend to defame, degrade, or incriminate any person, or it is asserted by a witness that the evidence or testimony that the witness would give at a hearing may tend to defame, degrade, or incriminate the witness,” and it goes on. Mr. Kennedy, among many other things, has said, “I know a lot now about bioweapons. We put out hundreds of millions of dollars into ethnically targeted microbes. The Chinese have done the same thing. In fact, COVID 19, there is an argument that it is ethnically targeted. COVID 19 attacked certain races disproportionately. The races that are most immune to COVID 19 are–”

JORDAN: Is the gentlelady making a motion or a speech?

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: I am I’ve made a motion to move into executive session because Mr. Kennedy’s testimony and his previous statements…

MASSIE: Mr. Chairman, I move to table the motion.

JORDAN: The gentleman from Kentucky has moved to table. The question is under–

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Mr. Chairman, I ask for a roll call vote on the on the motion to table.

JORDAN: Well, let me ask the question. The question is on the motion to table. The gentlelady has asked for a roll call vote. The clerk will will have, have to step back for a second. The clerk will have to come in, we’ll call the roll on the motion to table, and then we can get back to testimony.

[OFF CAMERA]: I think the witnesses can sit in the chairs sitting behind…

JORDAN: I’ll leave that up to the clerks. If the clerks are comfortable with that. Yeah, why don’t we do that? Maybe we can go right down here.

JOHNSON (R): Mr.. Mr.. Mr. Chairman, A point of order.

JORDAN: Gentleman from Louisiana.

JOHNSON (R): Is it the custom of this committee to censor viewpoints that we disagree with from witnesses?

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Mr. Chairman, I have a motion on the table.

[OFF CAMERA]: That’s not a point of order!

JORDAN: There’s a motion and the vote’s been called, we’re waiting for the clerks.

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Mr. Kennedy is violative of Rule 11, Clause 2.

JORDAN: We’re waiting for the clerks. Clerks will call the roll.

CLERK: Mr. Jordan.

JORDAN: Yes.

CLERK: Mr. Jordan votes Yes, Mr. Issa? Mr. Massie?

MASSIE: Yes to not censor.

CLERK: Mr. Massie votes yes. Mr. Stewart.

STEWART: Yes.

CLERK: Mr. Stewart votes yes. Ms. Stefanik?

STEFANIK: Yes.

CLERK: Ms. Stefanik votes Yes. Mr. Gates? Mr. Johnson of Louisiana?

JOHNSON (R): Yes.

CLERK: Mr. Johnson of Louisiana votes yes. Mr. Armstrong?

ARMSTRONG: Yes.

CLERK: Mr. Armstrong votes Yes. Mr. Steube? Mr. Bishop?

BISHOP: Yes.

CLERK: Mr. Bishop votes yes. Ms. Cammack?

CAMMACK: Yes.

CLERK: Ms. Cammack votes Yes. Ms. Hageman?

HAGEMAN: Yes.

CLERK: Ms. Hageman votes. Yes, Ms. Plaskett?

PLASKETT: No. I want to follow the rules that the Republicans made at the beginning of this conference with these House rules. So, no.

CLERK: Ms. Plaskett votes no.

CLERK: Mr. Lynch?

LYNCH: No.

CLERK: Mr. Lynch votes no. Ms. Sanchez?

SANCHEZ: No. Because it’s violative of the rules.

CLERK: Ms. Sanchez votes no. Ms. Wasserman Schultz?

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: No to allowing a witness to degrade and demean others…

JORDAN: This is not speech time.

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: … Because it violates the rules and not have his testimony and degradation and, it amplified rather than given an executive session.

CLERK: Ms. Wasserman-Schultz votes no. Mr. Connolly?

CONNOLLY: No to the Soviet Politburo.

CLERK: Mr. Connolly votes no. Mr. Garamendi?

GARAMENDI: No.

CLERK: Mr. Garamendi votes no. Mr. Allred? Ms. Garcia?

GARCIA: No. Ms. Garcia votes no. Mr. Goldman?

GARAMENDI: No to hate speech.

CLERK: Mr. Goldman votes no.

JORDAN: Geez.

JORDAN: Mr. Gates.

GATES: Yes.

CLERK: Mr. Gates?

GATES: Aye.

CLERK: Mr. Gates votes aye.

JORDAN: Clerk will report.

CLERK: Mr. Chairman, there are ten Ayes and eight Noes.

JORDAN: The motion to table is agreed to.

Watch the clip above, via C-SPAN.