Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), released the following statement after voting against H. Res. 72—Removing a certain Member from certain standing committees of the House of Representatives.
"The remarks and actions of Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene were wrong. While the comments in question were made when the Member was a private citizen or as a candidate for Congress, it does not excuse her inflammatory remarks. The code of conduct governing the behavior of Members does not apply until Member is sworn in as a representative, and thus we must evaluate the precedent being set," said Burgess.
"All Members should understand the influence our words and actions have on the American people and the consequences that result because of them; however, the Majority party should not dictate how the Minority party handles its membership. The placement of members on committees is up to each party’s steering committee. Never before has the Majority party sought to remove a member of the Minority party from his or her committees through a vote of the full House. No matter which party is in power, the Majority should not dictate how the other party handles those placement decisions. That must come from each party’s leadership, who may decide to remove a member from their assigned committees or positions.
"Several times I have called on the Majority to remove members from specific committees because of their actions, remarks, and even most recently, questionable relationships with foreign agents. The Majority’s leadership chose to ignore those calls. I must respect that decision, just as the Majority must respect the decisions of the Minority leadership. Congress needs to return to its mutual respect for each other and debate policy issues."
