The Gist: A California congressman plans to introduce a resolution to expel a Georgia Congresswoman from the U.S. House of Representatives after revelations of social media posts where she appeared to show support for executing Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama.
The Players: Democratic Congressman Jimmy Gomez from California is introducing a resolution to expel Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. Greene represents Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, which includes the Northwest Georgia counties of Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Haralson, Murray, Paulding, Polk, Walker, Whitfield and some of Pickens County.
The Controversy: Greene has been a lightning rod for controversy since she announced she was running for office, due to her social media posts that appear to support several QAnon conspiracy theories. The latest controversy stems from a CNN report that shows she liked and commented on posts that suggested violence against current and former democratic elected officials.
The Announcement: Below is Gomez’s announcement, presented in its entirety:
In light of numerous reports revealing her repeated endorsements of sedition, domestic terrorism, and political violence, Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) announced today he will introduce a resolution to expel Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14) from the U.S. House of Representatives.
“As if it weren’t enough to amplify conspiracy theories that the September 11 attacks were an inside job and the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was staged, a string of recent media reports has now confirmed that Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene had previously supported social media posts calling for political violence against the Speaker of the House, members of Congress, and former President Barack Obama,” said Congressman Gomez. “Such advocacy for extremism and sedition not only demands her immediate expulsion from Congress, but it also merits strong and clear condemnation from all of her Republican colleagues, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Her very presence in office represents a direct threat against the elected officials and staff who serve our government, and it is with their safety in mind, as well as the security of institutions and public servants across our country, that I call on my House colleagues to support my resolution to immediately remove Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene from this legislative body.”
In one Facebook post from 2018, Congresswoman Greene replied to a supporter who asked how they can “hang” former President Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, saying the “stage” was being “set” and that it would need to be done “perfectly.”
On January 26, 2021, a CNN KFile review by Em Steck and Andrew Kaczynski uncovered social media activity and posts by Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene calling for violence against Democrats in elected office.
Congresswoman Greene also liked a comment from 2019 that a “bullet to the head would be quicker” than an election for removing Speaker Pelosi from office, and messages about executing FBI agents working for the “deep state.”
In September of 2020, Congresswoman Greene posted a meme of her with a gun pointed towards progressive members of Congress. And in June of 2020, Politico unearthed past clips of Congresswoman Greene espousing racist, Islamophobic and anti-Semitic attitudes, saying in one video that Muslims should be barred from serving in government.
Expulsion: Expelling a member of the House of Representatives is a lengthy process that involves committee hearings, a formal investigation into the Congress member’s conduct and a formal recommendation from the committee to expel. If the formal recommendation is made, a two-thirds majority is needed to expel a member of Congress.
While it is unlikely that there is enough Republican support to expel Greene, political pundits say the vote puts Republicans in a tight spot because voting in favor of Greene could associate Republican members of Congress with extremists and QAnon supporters in the minds of voters.
About Georgia’s 14th Congressional District: According to the U.S. Census, Greene’s district is 85.3% white and has a median household income of $42,700. The district has a high school graduation rate of 79.1% and a college graduation rate of 16.6%.
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