*As Derek Chauvin was en route to a conviction Tuesday, and Stacey Abrams was handling GOP senators over their new Jim Crow voting laws, Democratic Rep. Val Demings was in the House (literally and figuratively) standing her ground against Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, the congressman from Ohio who went viral last week for relentlessly berating Dr. Anthony Fauci over mask mandates, even though the infectious disease expert has nothing to do with setting them.
Tensions between Demings and Jordan escalated during debate over the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which would address the surge of hate crimes against Asian Americans. Republicans introduced an amendment that would prevent the defunding of police departments even though the legislation doesn’t seek to strip law enforcement funding. Demings, who served as chief of the Orlando Police Department for three years, pointed out that the amendment “is completely irrelevant.”
“I served as a law enforcement officer for 27 years. It is a tough job,” said the Florida legislator. “And good police officers deserve your support. You know, it’s interesting to see my colleagues on the other side of the aisle support the police when it is politically convenient to do so. Law enforcement officers risk their lives every day. They deserve better.”
At that point, Jordan tried interrupting her, only to get Demings striking her desk and yelling at him: “I have the floor Mr. Jordan.”
“Did I strike a nerve?” Demings continued as she looked in the Ohio Republican’s direction. “Law enforcement officers deserve better that to be utilized as pawns. And you and your colleagues should be ashamed of yourselves.”
House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler tried to restore order, and Jordan said he agreed with Nadler that members shouldn’t shout out of turn. Demings fired back: “Mr. Jordan you don’t know what the heck you’re talking about! You know nothing about what law enforcement officers go through!”
Demings forged on to forcefully make the point that her Republican colleagues only support police when it’s politically convenient, because they were “silent” on Jan. 6, “when police officers who protect us every day were fighting for their lives because of the big lie that was told!”
She was just getting started. Watch Demings in action below:
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