November 23, 2024

Matt Gaetz Sparks Tense Exchange Over Pledge of Allegiance

Pledge of Allegiance #PledgeofAllegiance

In the main image, Republican Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida is seen at the U.S. Capitol January 10, 2023 in Washington, DC. The smaller image shows Representative Jerry Nadler, a New York Democrat, during a news conference on Capitol Hill December 9, 2021 in Washington, DC. Nadler’s objection to an amendment introduced by Gaetz for the House Judiciary Committee resulted in a tense exchange of words between committee members. © Photos by Drew Angerer/Getty Images In the main image, Republican Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida is seen at the U.S. Capitol January 10, 2023 in Washington, DC. The smaller image shows Representative Jerry Nadler, a New York Democrat, during a news conference on Capitol Hill December 9, 2021 in Washington, DC. Nadler’s objection to an amendment introduced by Gaetz for the House Judiciary Committee resulted in a tense exchange of words between committee members.

Republican Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida on Wednesday introduced an amendment in the House Judiciary Committee that would include a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance before every meeting.

The move caused not only objections but also a heated moment between Republican and Democratic members of the committee.

As Gaetz noted, he first called for the Judiciary Committee to open with the pledge two years ago. Democratic Representative Jerry Nadler of New York, who was chairman of the committee at the time, told Gaetz in 2021 that the move was unnecessary since the committee members already pledge allegiance on the House floor every morning.

On Wednesday, Nadler used the same reasoning when he was the first to speak out against Gaetz’s amendment.

“I don’t know why we should pledge allegiance twice in the same day to show how patriotic we are,” Nadler said. “I don’t think this is the most important amendment in the world.”

In introducing the amendment to the committee, Gaetz said it would give “our members the ability to invite inspirational constituents to be able to share and lead in the Pledge of Allegiance.”

Republican Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, who succeeded Nadler as the committee chair, said that he supported the amendment before Nadler expressed his dissent.

Representative Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, criticized Nadler for not supporting the amendment and claimed the New York City-born representative frequently didn’t attend the morning recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance.

“I’ve not seen Mr. Nadler on the floor when the pledge is done, and most members are not present there. So it’s not accurate to say we do the pledge every day or participate in the pledge every day,” Johnson said. “It may be offered but you’re not there for it.”

Johnson continued, “This is the work of the Judiciary Committee. This is the committee that has the charge of defending the Constitution and our fundamental freedoms and defending the very freedoms that the flag represents. And so it’s a bit absurd to suggest we couldn’t take 30 seconds at the beginning of this important work to do what should be done by all Americans.”

Nadler later defended himself. He said that while he and other committee members aren’t always present for the morning pledge, he’s “pledged allegiance dozens of times” and will continue to do so.

Democratic Representative Hank Johnson of Georgia then spoke and used the moment to criticize those members of the committee who had not done more in regard to the riots at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. He also condemned those who had supported the “big lie,” which is the baseless theory that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

Matt Gaetz’s Pledge of Allegiance Amendment Sparks Heated Committee Debate

SHARE

SHARE

TWEET

SHARE

EMAIL

What to watch next

  • Testimony and video may contradict Alex Murdaugh's alibi in murder trial

    Testimony and video may contradict Alex Murdaugh’s alibi in murder trial

    USA TODAY

  • FBI looking into alleged GoFundMe dog scam by Rep. Santos

    FBI looking into alleged GoFundMe dog scam by Rep. Santos

    NBC News

  • ‘We can find common ground,’ says McCarthy after first Biden meeting

    ‘We can find common ground,’ says McCarthy after first Biden meeting

    NBC News

  • Watch: Powell Announces Quarter-Point Interest-Rate Increase

    Watch: Powell Announces Quarter-Point Interest-Rate Increase

    The Wall Street Journal

  • GOP leadership is petrified at being ‘locked in’ to a debt ceiling plan on paper, Vitali says

    GOP leadership is petrified at being ‘locked in’ to a debt ceiling plan on paper, Vitali says

    NBC News

  • African skateboarders push the youth toward a brighter future

    African skateboarders push the youth toward a brighter future

    CNN

  • Texas Governor Greg Abbott speaks on October 27, 2022 in Katy, Texas. Inset: Voting booths are seen at Glass Elementary School's polling station in Eagle Pass, Texas, on November 8, 2022.

    Greg Abbott Says County’s Ballot Issues ‘May Necessitate’ New Elections

    Newsweek

  • Chuck Todd: Both Biden and McCarthy had ‘political incentive to fight’ at first debt ceiling meeting

    Chuck Todd: Both Biden and McCarthy had ‘political incentive to fight’ at first debt ceiling meeting

    NBC News

  • Tyre Nichols’ parents call for justice for all that lost loved ones at hands of police brutality

    Tyre Nichols’ parents call for justice for all that lost loved ones at hands of police brutality

    NBC News

  • McCarthy optimistic on debt ceiling after Biden meeting

    McCarthy optimistic on debt ceiling after Biden meeting

    The Washington Post

  • Ben Crump asks why officers couldn't 'see humanity in Tyre?'

    Ben Crump asks why officers couldn’t ‘see humanity in Tyre?’

    NBC News

  • White House: Telework should be federal agencies' decision

    White House: Telework should be federal agencies’ decision

    The Washington Post

  • White House: Biden cooperating with document investigation

    White House: Biden cooperating with document investigation

    The Washington Post

  • Watch: Kamala Harris speaks at Tyre Nichols' funeral

    Watch: Kamala Harris speaks at Tyre Nichols’ funeral

    MSNBC

  • 'Dr. Phil' show is coming to an end. Here are some of his most memorable interviews

    ‘Dr. Phil’ show is coming to an end. Here are some of his most memorable interviews

    CNN

  • Police dog rescued from car before Texas tornado strikes

    Police dog rescued from car before Texas tornado strikes

    BBC News

  • Click to expand

    UP NEXT

    UP NEXT

    “I regret the fact that many members of this committee voted against certifying the election results based on the ‘big lie,’ and they have continued to promote the ‘big lie’ and undermine public confidence in our government,” Johnson said.

    He added that he felt it was “ironic” for members who “supported the insurrection” to now want to force the committee to pledge allegiance to the flag.

    Representative David Cicilline, a Rhode Island Democrat, also invoked the attack on the Capitol during the meeting. He said he would support Gaetz’s amendment if it contained a provision that would restrict “anyone who supported insurrection” from leading the pledge.

    Gaetz later posted a video clip of the heated exchange on Twitter. In the caption for his post, he wrote: “Why does patriotism make Democrats so heated?”

    Newsweek reached out to Gaetz and Nadler for comment.

    Related Articles

    Start your unlimited Newsweek trial

    Leave a Reply