Rep. Pete Aguilar took apart "legislative terrorist" Jim Jordan just prior to formally nominating Hakeem Jeffries for speaker.
AGUILAR: A vote today to make the architect of a nationwide abortion ban, a vocal election denier, and an insurrection insider to the speaker of this House would be a terrible message to the country and our allies.
Mr. Speaker, it would send an even more troubling message to our enemies, that the very people who would seek to undermine democracy are rewarded with positions of immense power.
We are talking about someone who has spent his entire career trying to hold our country back, putting our national security in danger, attempting government shutdown after government shutdown, wasting taxpayer dollars on baseless investigations with dead ends, authoring the very bill that would ban abortion nationwide without exceptions, and inviting violence on this chamber.
Even members of his own party called him a legislative terrorist. He once said, “I didn't come to Congress to make more laws,” because words speak for themselves.
When New Yorkers recovering from Hurricane Sandy needed Congress to act, he said no. When wildfires ravaged the west, destroying homes and businesses and those residents needed disaster assistance, he said no. When the Mississippi River floods devastated the south in communities across state lines and needed Congress to act, he said no.
When our veterans were suffering from disease and dying as a result of their service to our country and Congress passed a bipartisan solution, he said no. When our ally in Ukraine looked to Congress for additional support to help defeat Putin, he said no.
And just before Hamas' brutal attack on Israel, he said no to fully funding military aid for our ally.
This body is debating elevating a speaker nominee who has not passed a single bill in 16 years.
These are not the actions of someone interested in governing or bettering the lives of everyday Americans. This is nothing less than the rejection of the oath that we swore to uphold is duly elected members of this body.
Jordan lost 20 votes during the first round. Stay tuned.
UPDATE: The House has adjourned.
