The Leadership Conference Supports the Resolution to Censure Rep. Paul Gosar
November 17, 2021
The Leadership Conference Supports the Resolution to Censure Rep. Paul Gosar
Dear Representative,
On behalf of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of more than 230 national organizations committed to promoting and protecting the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States, we write to urge you to support the censure of Rep. Paul Gosar (R. Ariz.). Congressman Gosar’s promotion of an animated video in which he executes a fellow member of Congress and attacks the president of the United States is abhorrent and dangerous. This behavior is beyond the pale, and the House of Representatives must act swiftly to condemn and censure Rep. Gosar and his reprehensible actions.
The violent insurrection on January 6, 2021, fueled heavily by white supremacy, was a horrific event that should have served as a wake-up call for members of Congress to come together and work with respect and dignity to build an America as good as its ideals. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. Threats to members of Congress have nearly doubled from 2020,[1] and members continue to threaten and harass their own colleagues.[2] Congressman Gosar’s promotion of violent attacks against Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez and the president of the United States is the latest and most troubling manifestation of this shameful trend. There is no excuse for threats of violence in our political process, and threats made by elected officials against other elected officials are no exception. Congressman Gosar must face consequences for his despicable actions.
Our democracy cannot thrive if members of Congress are allowed to continue their execrable attacks on their colleagues without any repercussions. The House must address this behavior and stand united in condemning violence and threats of violence in the political arena by holding Rep. Gosar accountable and censuring him.
Sincerely,
Wade Henderson
Interim President and CEO
Jesselyn McCurdy
Executive Vice President of Government Affairs
[1] Oshin, Olafimihan. “Threats against members of Congress on track to double those in 2020.” The Hill. Sep. 20, 2021. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/573002-threats-against-members-of-congress-on-track-to-double-2020; Wire, Sarah D. “Threats against members of Congress are skyrocketing. It’s changing the job.”
[2] See, e.g., Skolnik, Jon. “MTG’s threats worked: House Republicans who voted for infrastructure bill flooded with angry calls.” Salon. Nov. 12, 2021. https://www.salon.com/2021/11/12/mtgs-worked-voted-for-infrastructure-bill-flooded-with-angry-calls/; Sotomayor, Marianna. “Rep. Greene aggressively confronts Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, causing New York congresswoman to raise security concerns.” The Washington Post. May 13, 2021. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/greene-ocasio-cortez/2021/05/12/fd61d664-b37e-11eb-a3b5-f994536fe84a_story.html.