Matt Gaetz, Cedric Richmond have heated exchange on race at reform hearing
Rep. Matt Gaetz and Rep. Cedric Richmond got into a heated argument that turned personal during a hearing Wednesday on police reform.
The fiery exchange between the two lawmakers came as House Judiciary Committee members heard arguments about designating radical-left group Antifa a terrorist organization.
Richmond (D-La.) accused Republicans on the committee, who are all white, of stalling.
“As a black male who went to the fifth-best public high school in the country, who was a victim of excessive force, who has a black son, who has worries that you all don’t,” he said, “and to my colleagues, especially the ones that keep introducing amendments that are a tangent and a distraction from what we’re talking about, you all are white males.”
Richmond continued, “You’ve never lived in my shoes, and you do not know what it’s like to be an African American male. And all I’m saying is if you are opposed to this legislation, let’s just have the vote, but please do not come in this committee room and make a mockery of the pain that exists in my community.”
Gaetz, a white Republican who represents Florida, took issue with Richmond saying his colleagues couldn’t understand the issues at hand.
“I appreciate your passion,” Gaetz told Richmond. “Are you suggesting that you’re certain that none of us have non-white children? Because you reflect on your black son, and you said none of us could understand.”
Richmond interjected, saying he’s not about to “get sidetracked about the color of our children.”
“It is not about the color of your kids,” he said. “It is about black males, black people in the streets that are getting killed, and if one of them happens to be your kid, I’m concerned about him, too, and clearly, I’m more concerned about him than you are.”
That caused Gaetz to erupt, “You’re claiming you have more concern for my family than I do? Who in the hell do you think you are?”
“If the shoe fits,” Richmond replied, as Chairman Jerry Nadler rapped his gavel.
Gaetz continued, “This is outrageous. You should take those words down. I know you care about your family and love your family, so do we, damn it.”
“Was that a nerve?” Richmond responded.
“Yeah, you’re damn right it was a nerve!” Gaetz said.
The spat was one of several combative moments Wednesday. Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee eventually advanced the legislation, which calls for sweeping police reform including banning police chokeholds and establishing a federal registry of officers accused of misconduct.
The full House will consider the legislation next week.