Two prominent House Democrats plan to introduce a censure resolution next week to “condemn” President Donald Trump for what they said were his “racist” remarks about wanting fewer immigrants from “shithole” countries.
Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA), the Congressional Black Caucus Chair, and Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), the Ranking Member on the House Judiciary Committee, said on Friday that Trump’s “bigoted fearmongering is not acceptable and his remarks completely warrant total condemnation and censure from Congress.” They added in a statement that they were “deeply disturbed and offended” by Trump’s remarks.
“The countries he called ‘shitholes’ produce immigrants that are remarkable and make significant contributions to our country. A high percentage of those immigrants have college degrees and when they get here they create businesses and jobs,” the House Democrats said. “These remarks have compelled us to prepare a resolution of censure with our colleagues next week, to condemn President Trump for his racist statements. This censure resolution is important because America is a beacon of hope. We have to show the world that this president does not represent the real feelings of most of the American people which is part of the reason why he lost the popular vote.”
Messrs. Richmond and Nadler added that “American immigration policy cannot and should not be guided in any way, shape or form by racism.”
“We will be asking Republican Leadership to bring our resolution of censure—which we plan to release next week, after the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday—up for swift consideration and approval. Congress must speak with one voice in condemning these offensive and anti-American remarks. There is no excuse for it,” they continued.
Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) said on Friday that he was hopeful there would be bipartisan support for a censure resolution.
“The President is the commander in chief and this is kind of conduct that would be ‘unbecoming of an officer,’” he said on CNN. “If a general or some other line officer in the military were to say something like this, he would be censured. It should occur here with the commander in chief, at a minimum.”
Richmond blasted Trump on Thursday evening in a separate statement, saying Trump’s “racially insensitive” remark “reinforces the concerns” that many have that Trump’s “slogan Make America Great Again is really code for Make America White Again.”
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