Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, has sent a new letter to that panel’s chairman, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), pushing for a formal rejection by GOP members of the committee of racist ideas like the so-called “great replacement” conspiracy theory.
That notion insists that non-white foreigners are being intentionally used to push populations of white citizens out of the majority, or at least down numerically. The idea of nefarious intentions from a third party behind rates of immigration — and imagined threats from something like a so-called “invasion” over the southern border — has been seen in rhetoric from the political team for Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Tucker Carlson on Fox News, and, Raskin noted, Republican members of the oversight panel. The overall list of Republicans on that committee in this Congress includes prominent names like Reps. Jim Jordan (Ohio), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), and Lauren Boebert (Colo.).
Elsewhere, Trump himself has also helped push the lie of existential threats posed to the U.S. by individuals coming over the border, refusing to distance himself from the rhetoric falsely claiming there’s an invasion even after a mass shooting in Texas fueled by the same kind of racism.
“As Chairman, you have another opportunity to take a public stand against the deliberate amplification of dangerous racist rhetoric that has had deadly consequences in this country,” Raskin wrote in his letter to Comer. Even if you can’t legislate hatred out of existence, somebody like Comer, Jordan, or the rest can still step in and try to make it clear that white supremacy has no place in the country’s politics — although Republicans rejected a past resolution from Democrats that condemned the conspiracy theory alleging there’s a so-called great replacement underway.
“If Committee Republicans intend to continue examining the southern border and related policies, it is imperative for every member of this Committee to make clear to the American people that we speak with one voice to reject dangerous conspiracy theories and racist and antisemitic ideology in our Committee’s deliberations and decision-making,” Raskin added to Comer. “I feel certain—and I fervently hope—that you agree.” The Maryland Democrat raised specific concerns about comments heard from Republicans in a hearing on the southern border held by that committee last month, dangerous rhetoric that Raskin also addressed earlier.
In general, racism continues to be accepted within the Republican Party. When GOP leaders like House Speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) stick by Trump, they’re supporting a guy who just recently was using a derogatory and purposefully incorrect version of the last name of a former Cabinet official in his White House whose family hails from Taiwan. Elaine Chao, the woman Trump was targeting, is also Mitch McConnell’s wife.
NEW: RM @RepRaskin sent letter to Chair @RepJamesComer to join @OversightDems in denouncing white nationalism and white supremacy in all their forms, including the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory. https://t.co/zpdlOKjnhl
— Oversight Committee Democrats (@OversightDems) March 6, 2023
