House Democrats Block Move to Censure Rep. Maxine Waters

Last Tuesday, House Democrats blocked a resolution filed by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) aimed to censure Rep. Maxine Waters. The California representative made highly incendiary remarks last weekend that suggested violence if things didn’t go their way. 

RELATED: Kevin McCarthy, Others Slam Maxine Waters For Riot Remarks

Hoyer Tabled McCarthy’s Resolution

McCarthy introduced the resolution after Waters left some highly irresponsible remarks during a protest in Minnesota. She said that if the Derek Chauvin trial did not hand down a guilty verdict, protesters should go to the streets and get more confrontational.

Chauvin is the former police officer charged with the murder of George Floyd and the recent police killing of Daunte Wright.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (MD) motioned to table McCarthy’s resolution that censures and condemns Waters’ controversial comments over the weekend.

Had the resolution passed instead of tabled, Waters would lose her powerful position as chair of the House Financial Services Committee. As such, the motion won on party-line votes. 216 Democrats voted to table the bill, while 210 Republicans voted for a floor vote. 

Resolution to Censure Maxine Waters

McCarthy’s resolution detailed Water’s comments during the April 17 protests at Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Waters said that they’re looking for a guilty verdict, and if that didn’t happen, they should get more active.

She asked activists to “stay on the street, and we’ve got to get more active, we’ve got to get more confrontational, we’ve got to make sure they know we mean business.”

The resolution also spelled out Water’s apparent disrespect to a coequal branch of government. It noted that the presiding judge in the Derek Chauvin trial gave his opinion about elected officials commenting on cases.

“I wish elected officials would stop talking about this case, especially in a manner that is disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch and our function. “I think if they want to give their opinions, they should do so in a respectful, and in a manner that is consistent with their oath to the Constitution.

To respect the coequal branch of government. Their failure to do so I think is abhorrent.”

Reactions to Waters’ Remarks

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) said the House should censure Rep. Maxine Waters. “Right now, I haven't heard any Democrats speaking out against what Maxine has said.

And it’s time for Democrats to speak out when they see it on both sides. They only want to speak out on one side of the aisle, not on both. And that hypocrisy, I think, is starting to shine through.”

Earlier, Waters said in an interview that she wasn’t encouraging violence. “I talk about confronting the justice system, confronting the policing that’s going on, I’m talking about speaking up.

I’m talking about legislation. I’m talking about elected officials doing what needs to be done to control their budgets and to pass legislation,” Waters said. Asked for her reaction on the House vote to censure her, Waters shrugged the issue as mere politics.

Asked if she regretted the censure vote resulting from her controversial remarks, she simply said “No.”

Watch the PBS NewsHour reporting that Democrats block effort to censure Maxine Waters for Chauvin trial comments:

Given that Chauvin already received a guilty verdict, should this close this issue? Or, do you think the House should continue to censure Rep. Maxine Waters? Let us know what you think. Share your thoughts in the comments section below.