Chaos Erupts In Congress As Republicans Demand Democrat Withdraw ‘Racist Trash’ Accusation

In a floor speech, Jones, a progressive freshman and a vocal advocate for statehood, took aim at Rep. Jody Hice’s (R-Ga.) claim D.C. has no landfills., as well as Sen. Tom Cotton’s (R-Ark.) contrast between D.C. and a “well-rounded, working class state” like Wyoming.

“I had no idea there were so many syllables in the word ‘white,’” Jones said of Cotton’s argument, accusing Republicans of “racist insinuations that somehow the people of Washington, D.C. are incapable or even unworthy of our democracy” and calling their arguments “racist trash.”

Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), who, in an earlier speech, accused Congress of trying to “take Maryland’s land from it” with D.C. statehood and warned of an “uncontrolled mob” like the protesters outside the White House last summer showing up at the new D.C. border, asked Jones to agree to have his remarks stricken from the record.

What followed were several minutes of heated back and forth on parliamentary procedure, with Jones eventually agreeing to withdraw his words and continuing with a speech in which he said Republicans “fear that white supremacist politics won’t work anywhere in America.”

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who sat behind Jones during the exchange, confirmed to Forbes that Harris objected to the content of Jones’ speech, specifically “something that he said that rubbed Harris the wrong way.”

A spokesperson for Jones told Forbes he was “simply calling out GOP opposition to D.C. statehood for what it is: racist trash,” and that he acceded to GOP demands to “avoid an unnecessary vote,” adding, “he stands by what he said.”

Harris, in a statement to Forbes, said Jones’ “racist trash” comment was “unbecoming of a Representative and violates the rules of the House,” particularly at a “time of growing discord,” suggesting that Jones withdrew it because he “realized his words were inappropriate.”