House Democrats Block McCarthy's Resolution to Censure Maxine Waters

House Democrats on Tuesday afternoon blocked House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) resolution to condemn Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) for allegedly inciting violence.

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) offered a motion to table McCarthy’s resolution that censures and condemns Waters’ controversial comments over the weekend. Waters would have lost her powerful position as the chair of the House Financial Services Committee if the resolution passed.

The motion to table H.R. 330, McCarthy’s resolution to censure Waters, succeeded on party lines; 216 Democrats voted to table the bill, and 210 Republicans voted to have the House consider the bill for a floor vote.

McCarthy introduced the resolution after Waters said outside of a police station in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, that she protestors were looking for a “guilty” verdict and urged protesters to get “more confrontational” do not get the verdict they desire.

The resolution reads:

Whereas on the evening of April 17, 2021, Representative Maxine M. Waters of California joined protestors in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, who were gathered outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department.

Whereas Representative Maxine M. Waters said, “We’re looking for a guilty verdict” in the trial of Derek Chauvin.

Whereas Representative Maxine M. Waters said that if there was not a guilty verdict, protestors on the street should “…Stay on the street, and we’ve got to get more active, we’ve got to get more confrontational, we’ve got to make sure they know we mean business.”

Whereas on April 19, 2021, the judge in the trial of Derek Chauvin, Judge Peter Cahill, said in reply to Derek Chauvin’s defense attorney, “I’ll give you that Congresswoman Waters may have given you something on appeal that may result in this whole trial being overturned.”

Whereas Judge Cahill stated, “I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case, especially in a manner that is disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch and our function.”

Whereas Judge Cahill stated, “I think if they want to give their opinions, they should do so in a respectful, and in a manner that is consistent with their oath to the Constitution. To respect the coequal branch of government. Their failure to do so I think is abhorrent.”

Resolved, That: (1) Representative Maxine M. Waters of California be censured; (2) Representative Maxine M. Waters forthwith present herself in the well of the House for the pronouncement of censure; (3) Representative Maxine M. Waters be censured with the public reading of this resolution by the Speaker.

McCarthy’s resolution particularly served as a difficult resolution for many of the House Democrats’ swing voters; many of these Democrats have broken with their colleagues on votes such as this.

Waters, after the House vote, dismissed the resolution as just “politics.”

Asked by CNN if she regretted the vote coming from her controversial remarks, she said, “No.”