Photo: Getty Images
GOP Oversight Committee Chair James Comer threatened to remove Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts during a heated exchange over sanctuary cities.
On Wednesday (March 5), Mayors from four major cities, including Boston’s Michelle Wu, Chicago's Brandon Johnson, Denver's Mike Johnston, and New York's Eric Adams, appeared at a congressional hearing to discuss sanctuary cities, municipalities that protect undocumented immigrants from deportation, as they face scrutiny under the Trump administration.
The mayors contended that Republican members of Congress are exaggerating statistics regarding crime committed by immigrants and attacking sanctuary cities to align with Trump's crackdown on immigration. House Republicans accused the mayors of shielding criminals, being uncooperative with federal officials, and undermining Trump's deportation efforts with their sanctuary city policies.
Chaos erupted during the hearing as Pressley attempted to enter an article into the record through unanimous consent. Pressley, who noted several times that she's a survivor of sexual violence, was reading an excerpt from an article that stated, “Data from Texas shows that US-born Americans committ more rape and murder than immigrants" when she was suddenly interrupted by Comer.
“This trend of you all trying to get thrown out of committees so you can get on MSNBC is going to end; we’re not going to put up with it," Comer yelled over Pressley.
The two went back and forth shouting over each other, with Pressley again noting, “I take particular umbrage as a survivor of sexual violence."
"I will enter into the record, this is my right," the Democratic congresswoman said.
“No! ... You know the process of unanimous consent," Comer shot back.
The committee chair then moved to brush past Pressley and introduce the next speaker.
Video of the heated exchange went viral on social media.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Pressley said she was "exercising her right under committee rules to introduce articles into the record," per Newsweek.
"Republicans in the hearing pushed rhetoric about immigrant families that is both harmful and false. Boston is the safest major city in America and we are home to a vibrant and diverse community. The Congresswoman is proud of her city and her Mayor, and she will always press to correct the record with facts and data," the spokesperson said.
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