Rep. Jayapal, other Indian-American lawmakers, censure President Trump in resolution after white supremacist violence in Charlottesville

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Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington, member of the House Judiciary Committee, joined Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) to announce a resolution of censure against President Donald Trump for his August 15, remarks reasserting earlier comments that “both sides” were to blame for the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. The 47 lawmakers who have signed on to the resolution to date, include two Indian-American lawmakers Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Illinois, and  Ro Khanna, D-California. Rep. Ami Bera, the fourth Indian-American in the House has yet to sign on.

Jayapal and others say Trump was “excusing” the behavior of white supremacists and participants in the ‘Unite the Right’ rally.

The resolution censuring and condemning President Trump is set to be introduced on Aug. 18, when the U.S. House of Representatives returns from recess.

“Not even a week has passed since the tragedy in Charlottesville. But on Tuesday, the president poured salt on the nation’s wounds by defending those who marched with white supremacists,” Rep. Jayapal said in a press release. “The American people expect their leaders to condemn white supremacy in unambiguous terms,” Jayapal continued, going to the extent of calling the President’s conduct “un-American.”

On August 16, Jayapal introduced a resolution urging President Trump to strongly condemn white nationalists, the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis and other hate groups responsible for the violence, and to remove from the White House and the Trump administration all individuals, including his top advisors Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller and Sebastian Gorka.

Just hours after the introduction of the Jayapal resolution, President Trump defended those who marched with white supremacists in the Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally. Jayapal’s measure is supported by 47 members of Congress.

Signatories of the bill include Reps. Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Alcee Hastings (FL-20), Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), Nydia Velazquez (NY-07), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Adam Smith (WA-09), Barbara Lee (CA-13), Grace Napolitano (CA-32), Raul Grijalva (AZ-03), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Andre Carson (IN-07), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Judy Chu (CA-27), Bill Foster (IL-11), Donald Payne Jr. (NJ-10), Carol Shea-Porter (NH-11), John Delaney (MD-06), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Juan Vargas (CA-51), Don Beyer (VA-08), Brendan Boyle (PA-13), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11), Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Dwight Evans (PA-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) and Al Lawson (FL-05).

Full text of the Resolution from Rep. Jayapal’s website:

Censuring and condemning President Donald Trump.

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

August 18, 2017

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Mr. NADLER, Ms. WATSON COLEMAN, and Ms. JAYAPAL submitted the following resolution, which was referred to the Committee on _______;

RESOLUTION

Censuring and condemning President Donald Trump. 

Whereas on August 11, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia, a gathering of white supremacists, including neo-Nazis, Klu Klux Klan (KKK) members, and other alt-Right, white nationalist groups, marched through the streets with torches as part of a coordinated ‘Unite the Right’ rally spewing racism, anti-Semitism, bigotry and hatred; 

Whereas on August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia, a car driven by James Alex Fields, Jr. rammed into a crowd of counter-protestors, killing Heather Heyer and injuring 20 others;

Whereas President Donald Trump’s immediate public comments rebuked “many sides” for the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, and failed to specifically condemn the ‘Unite the Right’ rally or cite the white supremacist, neo-Nazi gathering as responsible for actions of domestic terrorism; 

Whereas on August 15, 2017 President Donald Trump held a press conference at Trump Tower where he re-asserted that “both sides” were to blame for the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, and attempted to create a moral equivalency between white supremacist, KKK, neo-Nazi groups and those counter-protesting the ‘Unite the Right’ rally; 

Whereas President Donald Trump has surrounded himself with, and cultivated the influence of, senior advisors and spokespeople who have long histories of promoting white nationalist, alt-Right, racist and anti-Semitic principles and policies within the country; 

Whereas President Donald Trump has provided tacit encouragement and little to no denunciation of white supremacist groups and individuals who promote their bigoted, nationalist ideology and policies; 

Whereas President Donald Trump has failed to provide adequate condemnation and assure the American people of his resolve to opposing domestic terrorism: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

(1)   does hereby censure and condemn President Donald Trump for his inadequate response to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 12, 2017, his failure to immediately and specifically name and condemn the white supremacist groups responsible for actions of domestic terrorism, for re-asserting that “both sides” were to blame and excusing the violent behavior of participants in the ‘Unite the Right’ rally, and for employing people with ties to white supremacist movements in the White House, such as Steve Bannon and Sebastian Gorka; and 

(2)   does hereby urge President Donald Trump to fire any and all White House advisors who have urged him to cater to the alt-Right movement in the United States.