Censuring of Representative Clay Higgins

Floor Speech

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Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, earlier today a gentleman from Louisiana posted on his official X account: ``LOL. These Haitians are wild. Eating pets, vudu, nastiest country in the Western Hemisphere, cults, slapstick gangsters, but damned if they don't feel all sophisticated now, filing charges against our President and VP. All these thugs better get their mind right and their ass out of our country before January 20th.''

Mr. Speaker, under rule XXIII, the Code of Official Conduct for the 118th Congress states that a Member shall behave at all times in a manner that reflects credibly on the House.

These words on an official post do not reflect credibly on the House.

In fact, they are inciting hate. They are inciting fear. Because of that, it is time for this body to stand with one voice and to ensure that there is accountability.

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Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I made a motion.

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Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I made a motion based on rule XXIII--point of parliamentary inquiry.

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Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire under rule XXIII whether this is a violation of the official Code of Conduct before the House.

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Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, may I ask of the Parliamentarian whether these--the rule XXIII Code of Conduct applies against the gentleman from Louisiana.

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Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, point of inquiry.

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Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, is it appropriate for a Member to use their official equipment in violation of rule XXIII?

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Mr. HORSFORD. Yes.

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Mr. HORSFORD. My parliamentary inquiry is: Is a Member allowed to use their official equipment of the House of Representatives and platform in violation of rule XXIII?

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Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, that is why I made the motion to refer this matter to the Committee on Ethics so that they can fully deliberate and determine whether the gentleman from Louisiana violated rule XXIII of the Code of Conduct of the House of Representatives.

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Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I make a point of order.

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Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, what is the proper motion for me to refer this matter to the Committee on Ethics?

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Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I am not asking for you to make a determination of an advisory opinion. I am asking for the matter to be referred to the Committee on Ethics based on the violation of rule XXIII Code of Conduct before the House of Representatives.

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Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, at what time would it be in order? After someone--there are children who are feeling threatened in this moment, based on the actions of the Member from Louisiana.

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Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I make a motion that this gentleman's words be stricken from the official record that he used by using official property and platform of the U.S. House of Representatives.

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Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, point of inquiry.

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Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, so the gentleman from Louisiana, had he stood on the floor of the House of Representatives and said these words on the House floor, the body would have been able to remove his words from the Record? Is that not correct, Mr. Speaker?

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Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that on the last day of this body's work on behalf of the people, after we came together just last week in a bipartisan way to protect and to provide dignitary protection for our national party candidates, that we have a Member who is choosing to use an official platform, and therefore, it is my intention to bring to this body a motion of censure.

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Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, therefore, I move to censure Representative Clay Higgins for violating rule IX by bringing discredit and disgrace to the House of Representatives, and I am submitting this motion.

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Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I move to censure--I am entering this as a resolution.

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Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I am submitting by resolution a motion to censure Representative Clay Higgins for violating rule IX by bringing discredit and disgrace to the House of Representatives.

There is an official motion, Mr. Speaker.

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Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I am attempting to give notice that I intend to bring a censure resolution upon return to this House of Representatives, and I would hope that every Member of this body understands that no person, particularly those who contribute to communities, who are entrepreneurial, who give to our communities by being nurses and first responders and teachers, that those individuals, those children, no longer have to live in fear or intimidation because of any words or posts that come from Members of this body, that it is time to end hate and the rhetoric of hate, and that it is not becoming of any Member to continue to push this type of rhetoric on any platform, let alone from the House of Representatives.

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