Texas Representative Jasmine Crockett Calls Out Sexual Abuse and Fearmongering Within the GOP
Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett recently denounced fearmongering by the GOP and sexual abuse crime stats within the congressional district in a face-off with freshman Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna. In a stunning display, Crockett, a fresh-faced Democrat, challenged her colleagues during the House meeting on May 17 as lawmakers debated how to combat crime in the D.C. area.
In a video of the encounter, Florida’s Luna, a Republican, spoke to the House committee, saying, “What I am asking is for you to do your job and make people feel safe, especially those that are depending on you to do it when you see cases of 48% increase in sexual assault cases.”
Luna’s comments come days after Congress voted to reject D.C.’s Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act, legislation that would prohibit certain policing tactics, prevent police officers with past misconduct from being hired, and grant the public easier access to police disciplinary records and body camera footage in specific circumstances. This rejection, however, is a largely symbolic action as President Biden has already made clear his intention to veto attempts at blocking the bill, which is just one of many reform changes that have been suggested in the wake of the 2020 death of George Floyd.
After Luna’s remarks, it is then that the impassioned Crockett intervenes. Watch below:
Crockett referenced the recently indicted former President Donald Trump, who has been accused of sexual misconduct several times and was recently found liable for the sexual abuse of writer E. Jean Carroll.
Crockett later continued, discussing how her Republican colleagues have remained adamant about removing crime from the streets of D.C. but have failed to do the same within Congress itself.
Crockett is referring to New York Rep. George Santos, who has been embroiled in scandal during the short time he has been in office, which began in 2022. The Justice Department recently charged Santos with 13 federal counts, including wire fraud, money laundering, and theft of public funds, who plead not guilty to all charges.
The Democratic Party and the GOP have been embattled in a struggle to address citywide crime in D.C., with House Republicans seeking to implement new crime-preventing initiatives while Mayor Muriel E. Bowser attempts to revitalize the city’s already fragile law enforcement.
Elected in 2020, Crockett strives to make changes to the current legislation. Despite her fiery approach this past Wednesday, she is not on the other side of safety and is dedicated to protecting the lives of all citizens, starting by advocating for gun control and securing abortion rights. In an interview with the Guardian, Crockett confronted the need for gun control, expressing her full support of President Biden’s proposed assault weapons ban.
“There are definitely guns that we want to take away because it’s the equivalent of some of these people having cannons; I’m sorry, but it’s not OK for my next-door neighbor to have a cannon,” says the lawmaker and gun owner herself. “If we want to minimize the carnage and damage that is done when someone is evil and is just going to do what they do, this is about mitigation; this is about saving lives. People literally have almost no chance of surviving when some of these weapons are used. I don’t understand why we need them.”
Crockett labels her opposing party members as “cowards,” attributing their refusal to address lax gun regulation to a desire to uphold extremism in the country, which continues to grow daily. Crockett also discusses the erosion of voting rights and attempts at imposing voting restrictions, a problem that she directly relates to Republicans’ unwillingness to solve gun control.
With strife between the two dominant parties continuing, many Americans have a sense of foreboding as the presidential election year looms. While some voters hope that his presence in Congress will soon end, Santos’ expulsion is not yet definite, even as his team and political career implode. Former President Trump, who maintains a rap sheet of alleged sexual misconduct that spans more than four decades, remains a frontrunner for the 2024 presidential slot. Florida Gov. Ron Desantis, who has made waves for his strict anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the state, is also a strong contender for the presidency in 2024.
In the wake of such political scandals and as conflict within the House persists, Capital Hill is slowly devolving into a caricature of its previous self right in front of America’s eyes. While Crockett is attempting to pick up the pieces, this slow but unwavering progression has many Americans fearing what’s to come.
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