WASHINGTON — Despite the furor over U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s embrace of violence against members of Congress and conspiracy theories, the likelihood of some sort of punishment by her fellow lawmakers is no sure thing.
Greene, R-Fla., called a Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting survivor a “coward,” sympathized with QAnon conspiracy theories and liked comments on Facebook that alluded to the murder of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, leading to Republicans denouncing her words and some Democrats calling for her to be expelled.
House Ethics Chairman Ted Deutch — who represents the Florida district that includes Parkland, where Stoneman Douglas is located — on Thursday said that Greene should not “have a public platform to further spread dangerous lies” as a “Member of Congress.”
CNN reported that in 2019, Greene liked a Facebook comment that said “a bullet to the head would be quicker” to remove Pelosi from the speakership. Greene also liked comments about executing FBI agents and enthusiastically engaged with a post that asked about hanging former President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state.
On the heels of the CNN report, a video reemerged showing Greene accosting Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg near the Capitol as she makes false claims about Hogg in 2019.
In 2018, Greene posted “none of the school shootings were real,” including the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut where 20 children and six adults were shot to death.
But despite Greene’s past actions and comments, none of the top three most powerful House Republicans are calling for her to lose her committee assignments or for any ethics sanctions, such as expulsion or censure.
Michele Exner, a spokesperson for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, called Greene’s comments “deeply disturbing” and said McCarthy plans to have a conversation with Greene.
In November, McCarthy welcomed Greene, along with Colorado GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert, another member who has embraced QAnon, to the conference.
“These are new members. Give them an opportunity before you claim what you believe they have done and what they will do,” McCarthy said of Greene and Boebert at the time. “I think it’s fair for all.”
Minority Whip Steve Scalise condemned the comments in a statement. A spokesperson for GOP Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney on Wednesday described the comments as “repugnant” in a statement to CNN.
Greene did not seem impressed. “She has no plans to resign,” Nick Dyer, a spokesperson for Greene, said in a statement.
Pelosi told reporters Thursday that she is concerned that House Republican leaders are “willing to overlook, ignore those statements.”
“Assigning her to the Education Committee when she has mocked the killing of little children at Sandy Hook Elementary School, when she has mocked the killing of teenagers in high school, at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. What could they be thinking, or is thinking too generous a word for what they might be doing?” Pelosi said of Greene being assigned to the Education and Labor Committee. “It’s absolutely appalling, and I think the focus has to be on the Republican leadership of this House of Representatives for the disregard they have for the death of those children.”
Education and Labor Chairman Bobby Scott, a Virginia Democrat, also spoke out against Greene’s appointment to his panel by Republican leadership but did not name her.
“House Republicans have appointed someone to this Committee who has publicly endorsed violence against elected officials,” Scott said in a statement. “House Republicans made this appointment and Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy must explain how someone with this background represents the Republican party on education issues.”
