January 17th, 2024
By Reese Gorman
Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) filed a resolution to censure House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) over her comments on those arrested for the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
On NBC’s Meet the Press, Stefanik referred to those arrested as “hostages,” which led to immediate condemnation from Democrats. Now, Goldman is leading an effort to censure Stefanik over the remarks.
“We’re filing a resolution to censure Elise Stefanik for providing aid, comfort, and support to the convicted insurrectionists from January 6,” Goldman said.
He said that in calling the prisoners “hostages,” she is trying to flip the narrative and “equating them to the illegally abducted Israeli hostages suffering from horrific conditions in Gaza right now.”
“It also demeans and belittles the seriousness of what the Israeli hostages are facing in Gaza right now,” he said. “And I believe that it is unbecoming of a member of Congress to use language to support people who threatened violence against members of this body, and it is also unbecoming of someone who purports to be a leader against antisemitism to demean and belittle the severity of the hostages in Gaza.”
In a statement posted on X, Alex DeGrasse, the executive director of Stefanik’s campaign, called Goldman a “radical” Democrat and said Democrats are “desperate because they know Joe Biden is going to lose this November.”
“Failed Far Left House Democrats are in absolute desperate free fall that Elise Stefanik continues to be one of the most effective Members of Congress going on offense every single day exposing Democrats and Joe Biden’s corruption and lies,” DeGrasse said in the statement.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) also came to Stefanik’s defense, telling reporters that it is “patently absurd” and that “she is doing an exceptional job and the idea that he would use censure to attack a political opponent is just ridiculous.”
Goldman said that he does not plan to file the resolution as privileged, which would force House leadership to bring it up for a vote within two legislative days; instead, he hopes that Republicans will bring up the resolution on their own. But, if they don’t, he is prepared to make it privileged, forcing Republicans’ hands. Regardless of when or if it comes up for a vote, the measure would likely fail.
