During a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday, Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) directly called out Republican lawmakers to debate their legislation.
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00:00Back, a gentleman from Colorado.
00:03Move to strike the last word.
00:05Hellman's recognized.
00:06I thank the chairman, I thank the ranking member for the amendment.
00:09I think it's a reasonable amendment, and I would relish the opportunity to debate the amendment with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle.
00:18I am very confused by the strategy that they seem to have adopted, and I guess I just wanted to test it for myself,
00:26because as I walked in here, one of my colleagues said, no, if you offer to debate them in any way on any subject,
00:33they'll refuse to engage with you.
00:35They won't respond, that there's some sort of, I don't know, tactic that they've adopted.
00:39I said, there's just no way that that's true.
00:41Because I, of course, serve with Mr. Roy, for example, on the Rules Committee, and we engage in fulsome debate on that committee,
00:47and I just can't believe that this would be a tactic he, of all people, my friend from Texas, would adopt.
00:53Mr. Roy, seriously, is it, you won't, you won't respond?
00:58We can't have any conversation?
01:01Well, I'm glad to be here.
01:03I'm delighted.
01:04Would you be willing to debate this particular amendment with me?
01:07Because I'd be interested in your thoughts.
01:11What was that?
01:13What was that?
01:15What was that?
01:18No, I know, I'm offering you the opportunity.
01:20I assume you're against this amendment, and I just wonder if you might engage with me for a few moments on why.
01:27Nothing?
01:28Mr. Roy, come on.
01:29Because here's the thing.
01:31I know for a fact you disagree with this strategy.
01:34I don't know what Chairman Jordan said to all of you to compel you to say,
01:38we're just going to get this gag order, you're not allowed to talk for 24 hours.
01:41I mean, it is insanity.
01:42This is not elementary school.
01:44What are we doing?
01:45Mr. Tiffany, we served together on the public land subcommittee or the chairman.
01:48We had a fulsome hearing yesterday, hours of debate.
01:51Do you have any comments on this amendment?
01:53I assume you have a position on it?
01:56I would yield.
01:58What was that?
02:00I don't know if the cameras could capture it.
02:01I think some sort of gesture.
02:04Again, I cannot believe, cannot believe that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have debased themselves in this way.
02:13I mean, this committee has long been known as a committee that engages in rigorous and robust debate.
02:19Mr. Chairman, could I indulge you?
02:22Would you be willing to just debate with me for a moment on this amendment?
02:26Nothing?
02:29This is probably the only time in the seven years I've been in Congress that Chairman Jordan has refused to make a comment.
02:38No, let me do that.
02:38Really?
02:39I'm happy to yield a moment to you.
02:41Would you support this amendment that Mr. Raskin has offered?
02:45The simple and straightforward amendment.
02:48What was that?
02:49It's a simple and straightforward amendment?
02:50Exactly.
02:51That's what every amendment, I think.
02:52No, but this one is a particularly simple and straightforward.
02:55I mean, look.
02:55Here's the thing.
02:56This amendment, very simple, very straightforward.
02:59All it says is that the grants that the Department of Justice has allocated pursuant to the authority that we have given that department for police departments in Ohio, in the Chairman's State, that those grants be held harmless.
03:14That these grants that Doge had managed to cut to local police departments, that they be reinstated.
03:22That's it.
03:22That's all this amendment does.
03:24Nothing else.
03:26Will the gentleman yield for a minute?
03:27To one of my Republican colleagues?
03:30Or is it?
03:30Nope.
03:30Sorry.
03:31Oh, on the demo.
03:32Yeah.
03:32Well, yeah.
03:33I mean, it's not a single Republican colleague of mine that will engage in any way.
03:38Again, I just think this is, it falls short of the standards of this august body and this committee.
03:47And, Mr. Chairman, I get it.
03:49I know you want this hearing to end early.
03:52I understand.
03:54But why not live up to the values of this committee and the expectations of this committee and let's have a healthy exchange of views back and forth and we can then let the chips fall where they might.
04:07So I'll give you one last opportunity.
04:09On this one, you must, come on.
04:10You're a kind man.
04:11Well, I'll yield to my colleague from you.
04:14Well, I was just going to suggest that we see if Mr. Van Drew is back there.
04:19He's been chomping at the bit to say something.
04:23I don't think he's ever spent this many hours without speaking.
04:27So I don't know if he's back in the ante room over there, but certainly that might be your best bet.
04:36Yeah, look, I think he's in hiding.
04:37And, you know, it's consistent with the approach that my colleagues have regretfully taken over the course of the last couple weeks, most of them not holding town halls.
04:46Constituents can't find them.
04:47And lo and behold, now here in the committee where we're supposed to be debating these kinds of amendments and, you know, aren't willing to say a word.
04:54And we've been here before.
04:55I mean, we had the reconciliation debate.
04:57Of course, when Democrats were in the majority, I served on this committee.
05:00And we had a debate.
05:02There was never an order from the chairman to say you're not allowed to say a single word for 24 hours.
05:07That was never an edict that came down from Chairman Nadler.
05:10I don't think.
05:11I don't recall that.
05:12So anyway, I see I'm out of time.
05:14Certainly not.
05:17Gentleman's time has expired.
05:18The gentlelady.