The Republican outrage was described as a “small political side circus,” after U.S. Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) succeeded on Thursday in having several fact-checking articles exposing Republicans’ false claims made part of the Congressional Record.
The articles all debunked the false and baseless claims conservatives and the far right have been making for nearly a year, that Attorney General Merrick Garland called parents speaking at school boards “domestic terrorists,” and was investigating them.
Cicilline first tried to read the articles into the record, but Republicans immediately objected.
The Democrat from Rhode Island appeared genuinely surprised that the Judiciary Committee Republicans would object to the very basic and standard procedure. He was forced to describe the articles to have them included in the official record – something the Republicans also caused a commotion over.
Referring to Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH), Rep. Cicilline said that “the ranking member made reference to a Department of Justice whistleblower memo and grossly mischaracterized its content. So I’d ask unanimous consent that I’d be permitted to read the memo into the record.”
Republicans objected.
“You object to reading into the record the memo?” Cicilline, shocked, asked. “Then I ask unanimous consent that the document that the Republicans were afraid to have be read aloud be introduced into the record.”
He read the titles into the record (NCRM has linked to those titles online below.)
READ MORE: Jim Jordan Accuses Democrats of Trying To ‘Pack’ Supreme Court ‘With Four Left-Wing Justices’
“No, the federal government isn’t using the Patriot Act to treat parents like domestic terrorists,” which refutes a claim Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH) made last year in October during another Judiciary Committee hearing.
“McCarthy’s false claims that Garland called parents ‘terrorists’” was the title of another article made part of the record.
“Attorney General never called concerned parents ‘domestic terrorists’” was yet another article.
“Kevin McCarthy keeps repeating false claim that attorney general called parents terrorists for wanting to attend school board meetings,” was the final article.
Cicilline then asked “unanimous consent” that Republicans “read these documents and stop making false claims,” to which the Chair responded, “Good luck with that.”
Republicans were outraged.
“Point of order!” yelled one.
“The gentleman just impugned our integrity!” Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) decried. “I would demand that his words be taken down. He is not allowed under the rules to impugn false statements by this side.”
Gohmert literally point his finger at Cicilline as he yelled.
“And as far as Politifact, and some of those, they couldn’t find the truth with both hands,” Gohmert, making what would likely be a “pants on fire claim,” also charged.
The Jim Jordan Louie-Gohmert part of the GOP caucus did not appear to have the full support of their fellow members.
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, a far right Republican of Texas, held his head in his hand during part of the outbreak, and later ignored it by using his cell phone. U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky was laughing toward the end.
Watch below or at this link.