Malliotakis votes to strip GA rep of committees
BY ROSE ADAMS
Southern Brooklyn Rep.
Nicole Malliotakis joined with
House Democrats on Feb. 4
to strip Georgia Rep. Marjorie
Taylor Greene of her
congressional committee assignments,
citing “deeply disturbing”
comments made by
her fellow freshman Republican
lawmaker.
Malliotakis was one of 11
Republicans who voted to boot
Greene from her committees
— which are specialized panels
where bills typically begin the
legislative process — after new
reports unearthed her support
for 9/11 conspiracy theories
and other hateful beliefs.
“Past comments made and
endorsed by Congresswoman
Greene are deeply disturbing
and extraordinarily offensive
and hurtful to thousands of
9/11 families and fi rst responders,
our Jewish community,
and many others in our district,”
said Malliotakis, who
also represents Staten Island.
In one 2018 video, the Georgia
representative expressed
support for “9/11 truther” theories,
saying, “It’s odd, there’s
never any evidence shown
for a plane in the Pentagon,”
and later liking a comment
that said that the attacks were
“done by our own Gov.” She has
also claimed that the Parkland
and Las Vegas mass shootings
were staged in an effort to take
away gun rights.
Some of Greene’s beliefs
have veered into anti-Semitic
territory, with Greene speculating
COURIER LIFE, F 18 EBRUARY 12-18, 2021
that the California wildfi
res were sparked by space lasers
controlled by the Jewish
Rothschild family. She has also
voiced support for the QAnon
conspiracy theory, which holds
that Democratic leaders and
prominent Jews run a global
child-traffi cking sex ring.
During an eight-minute
speech on the House fl oor during
the debate over whether
to take away her spot on the
Education and Labor committee
and the Budget committee,
Greene expressed regret for the
past remarks, but did not apologize.
Greene isn’t the fi rst congressmember
to be stripped of
their committee assignments.
Republicans removed Iowa
Rep. Steven King from his committees
in 2019 after he questioned
why the term “white supremacists”
was offensive, and
other legislatures accused of
crimes or under investigation
have faced a similar fate.
But Greene’s punishment
does break with tradition in
the legislative chamber, where
members are typically removed
only by a vote of their
own party — rather than in
Greene’s case, where 219 Democrats
and less than a dozen Republicans
voted in favor of the
parliamentary maneuver.
Malliotakis, however, added
that House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi should dole out similar
punishments for Democratic
Congressmembers Eric Swalwell
and Ihlan Omar, because
of past controversies.
“I’m patiently awaking
Speaker Pelosi’s resolution to
remove Congressman Swalwell
from the House Intelligence
Committee over his ties
to a suspected Chinese Spy and
Congresswoman Omar from
the House Foreign Affairs
Committee for her shameful
anti-Semitic remarks,” Malliotakis
said.
And while some Republicans
said they believe the vote
to strip Greene of her committee
assignments sets a dangerous
precedent, Malliotakis said
she supports the punishment
when applicable.
The move was likely made
easier for Malliotakis than
other national Republican pols,
as her district encompasses by
far the highest concentration
of NYPD offi cers of any in New
York City, as well as a large
number of FDNY personnel —
most of whom would likely join
her condemnation of 9/11 conspiracy
theories.
“As Americans, we must
hold ourselves to a higher standard
and fully condemn such
comments regardless of which
side of the aisle they come
from,” she said.
Malliotakis’ vote represented
a break from her recent
unwavering support for former
President Donald Trump.
On Jan. 6, in the wake of the
Capitol attack, she voted to object
to the electoral votes of Arizona
and Pennsylvania due to
alleged voting irregularities
that former President Donald
Trump wanted investigated.
A week later, when 10 House
Republicans joined all House
Democrats in approving an article
of impeachment against
then-outgoing President Trump
for the charge of “incitement of
insurrection,” Malliotakis opposed
the effort.
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis was one of 11 Republicans to vote to strip Georgia
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of her House committees on Feb. 4.
File photo by Tom Callan / REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger
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