All of Southwest Florida’s congressional representatives voted to keep House Speaker Rep. Michael Johnson (R-4-La.) in his position, rebuffing an attempt by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-14-Ga.) to oust him.
The vote taken this evening at 5:43 pm was to table Greene’s “motion to vacate,” House Resolution 1209, which would have declared the Speaker’s position vacant and set in motion an effort to elect a new Speaker. By tabling the motion, the House set it aside, taking no further action and effectively killing it.
The House voted overwhelmingly, 359 to 43 to table the motion. Some 196 Republicans and 163 Democrats voted for tabling. Only 11 Republicans and 32 Democrats voted against it. Seven Democrats voted “present,” 10 Republicans and 11 Democrats did not vote at all.
Rep. Diaz-Balart (R-26-Fla.) was very clear about his reasons for the vote.
“This Motion to Vacate vote is nothing more than a patently obvious attempt to seek attention, it will not help achieve any tangible results except media interviews for the proponents,” he stated on X. “Since @SpeakerJohnson was elected, he has proven remarkably adept at achieving conservative policy wins with the smallest majority in modern times. Time and time again he has earned my respect and deserves the support of every House Republican.”
As of this writing, Reps. Byron Donalds (R-19-Fla.) and Greg Steube (R-17-Fla.) had not posted statements about their votes on any platform.
Commissioner Chris Hall at today’s Board of Commissioners meeting. (Image: CCBC)
April 23, 2024 by David Silverberg
Correction, April 26: Vincent Keeys did not serve on the Canvassing Board but observed its operations.
Without taking a vote, the Collier County Board of Commissioners today agreed not to advance a resolution calling for major changes to county elections, effectively killing the proposal.
The bill was drafted by an entity calling itself United Sovereign Americans, which is trying to alter elections across the United States. An activist named Marly Hornik is the only confirmed member of what purports to be a national organization.
During public comments at the meeting numerous Collier County residents rose to praise the work done by Collier County Supervisor of Elections Melissa Blazier and denounce the conspiracy theories contained in the resolution.
Diane Preston Moore, president of the Collier County League of Women Voters, said the League officially opposed the resolution, calling its title “misleading.” As for its allegations, she said, “saying something is so doesn’t make it so.”
Vincent Keeys, president of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, who had observed the Canvassing Board overseeing local elections stated that while Hall had every right to bring the resolution forward, “Collier County has no voting irregularities” and called the resolution “ridiculous, very costly and absolutely unnecessary.”
Blazier testified remotely, reiterating arguments she made in an April 18 letter to Hall. She called the resolution “deeply flawed and highly unnecessary” and urged commissioners to “reject this resolution.”
Commission discussion
Following the public comment portion of the meeting, Hall made the point that the resolution was not aimed at Collier County but was intended to be part of a national effort to alter elections in general. “We want the fire to begin here,” he said and if the resolution passed it would be carried to the rest of Florida’s 67 counties.
He also denied that the resolution’s establishing clauses alleging 2022 Florida voting irregularities were directed at Collier County or its conduct of elections. “This is not about us here in Collier County,” he said.
None of the other commissioners were impressed with the resolution.
“This resolution is not ready for prime time,” said Commissioner William McDaniel (R-District 5). “It stipulates a lot of things that are not consequential to Collier County.” He also pointed out that “There is not a soul in this room who does not want election integrity.”
Commissioner Rick LoCastro (R-District 1) was similarly leery, saying that it required a lot more discussion before moving forward. “I would not be comfortable voting on this now,” he said.
Commissioner Burt Saunders (R-District 3) said that while the resolution was “well-intentioned” he was prepared to vote against it if it was presented for formal approval. “I don’t think we should continue it. It is flawed to the point where we should start over. Let’s start over again with something that will be meaningful.”
Commissioner Dan Kowal (R-District 4) said: “I don’t want to put my name to something that’s a cookie-cutter resolution,” referring to its outside origins.
While McDaniel initially wanted to make the resolution a continuing matter to be taken up again at a later date, Saunders argued that it should advance no further.
Given the general reluctance to put the matter to a vote to formally defeat it, McDaniel, LoCastro, Kowal and ultimately Hall all agreed with Saunders that the best course was simply not to advance it in any way.
The resolution was thus killed without a vote. However all the commissioners stated they were open to hearing suggestions to improve elections in Collier County and welcomed input from residents.
For the first time in American history, the Speaker of the House of Representatives has been ousted from his position by the members of Congress.
The vote this afternoon was 216 to 210, with 210 Republicans voting to keep him and 208 Democrats voting against him. Eight Republicans voted against him. Three Republicans and four Democrats did not vote, otherwise the party blocs remained solid.
Southwest Florida’s congressional delegation, Reps. Byron Donalds (R-19-Fla.), Greg Steube (R-17-Fla.) and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-26-Fla.), all voted to keep McCarthy, which meant voting “nay” on House Resolution 757, which stated that the Speaker’s position was vacant.
In the immediate wake of the vote, only Diaz-Balart issued a statement on his vote. He blamed the ouster on “radical left socialist” members.
“A small group of members in coordination with the radical left socialist squad are attempting to derail the conservative GOP agenda,” he stated on X, formerly Twitter. “Over the last 9 months, Speaker McCarthy has demonstrated his ability to unite the GOP, kept his promise to pass the strongest border security bill, and pushed back against the Biden Administration’s wasteful spending, regulatory overreach and woke agenda. I refuse to vote with the socialists in the squad to remove the Speaker chosen by GOP members.”
The vote was engineered by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-1-Fla.) who launched the effort because of McCarthy’s willingness to compromise with the White House and Democrats on a number of issues.
The Speaker’s gavel now passes to the President Pro Tempore of the House designated by McCarthy, which is Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-10-NC). He will preside until a new Speaker is elected.
The United States Capitol. (Photo: Architect of the Capitol)
Sept. 30, 2023 by David Silverberg
Mere hours before deadline, at 2:42 pm this afternoon, the US House of Representatives approved a bill that funds the government for the next 45 days and averts a government shutdown.
The vote on the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions Act (House Resolution (HR) 5860 was a lopsided 335 to 91 with 7 members not voting.
Among the Southwest Florida delegation, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-19-Fla.) did not vote.
Rep. Greg Steube (R-17-Fla.) voted against the bill.
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-26-Fla.) voted for the bill.
“Today, voting closed before I could cast my NO vote,” stated Donalds on X, formerly Twitter. “I DO NOT support today’s flawed CR [Continuing Resolution], which continues Pelosi’s reckless spending, fails to secure our border & pushes us closer to the fiscal brink. Instead, I offered a conservative alternative, which would’ve slashed agency spending by 29% and secured OUR border.”
Even Steube was scornful of Donalds’ absence.
“Should’ve just pulled a fire alarm and bought some time,” Steube stated on X, referring to Rep. Jamal Bowman (D-16-NY) who pulled a fire alarm in a House office building, triggering an evacuation. (Bowman said he accidentally pulled the alarm as he was rushing to vote. The incident is being investigated.)
Diaz-Balart did not issue a statement on his “yea” vote.
Cindy Banyai, Donalds’ past Democratic opponent, was also scornful of his absence.
“Byron Donalds did not vote on the Continuing Resolution to keep the government open. He was never serious about making the government work for you. He only wanted to make massive cuts to appease his donors,” she stated on X.
The bill passed with 209 Democratic and 126 Republican votes. 90 Republicans and a single Democrat opposed it. Seven members did not vote, including Donalds.
Following the vote, the bill was sent to the Senate for passage.
The 9:21 pm vote on what is commonly known as the debt ceiling bill was 314 to 117. It was the product of protracted negotiations between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-23-Calif.)
Some 149 Republicans voted for the bill, while 71 opposed it. Among Democrats 165 voted for it and 46 opposed it. Four members did not vote.
Southwest Florida Reps. Byron Donalds (R-19-Fla.) and Greg Steube (R-17-Fla.) voted against the bill. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-26-Fla.) voted for it.
“If Congress fails to increase the debt limit, it would cause severe hardship to American families, harm our global leadership position, and raise questions about our ability to defend our national security interests,” Yellen warned congressional leaders in a May 1 letter.
Potential consequences
Had it not passed, SWFL veterans were particularly at risk of losing their promised benefits. SWFL has a considerable veteran population. According to 2021 US Census figures, the latest available, there were 53,265 veterans living in Lee County, 22,747 in Collier County, and 20,413 in Charlotte County.
The bill maintains full funding for veterans’ health care. It increases support for the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act’s toxic exposure fund by nearly $15 billion for fiscal year 2024. The PACT Act is a law passed in the last Democratic-dominated Congress to benefit veterans exposed to harmful chemicals during their service.
An important impact of the bill was not spelled out but is vital to SWFL: if approved, Social Security recipients will receive their checks without interruption or delay. Some 12,547 Lee County residents, 3,984 Collier County residents, and 2,945 Charlotte County residents were Social Security recipients as of December 2021, according to the Social Security Administration. Nationally, 65 million Americans receive Social Security benefits.
The bill changes eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), better known by its earlier name of food stamps. The bill changes the eligibility of people to receive SNAP assistance to the age of 54 where before it was 50. States will also be required to ensure that a higher percentage of welfare beneficiaries are working at least 20 hours per week under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.
As of 2022, according the Federal Reserve of St. Louis, there were 105,288 SNAP recipients in Lee County, 25,748 in Collier County and 17,257 in Charlotte County.
Other effects are much more spread out across the nation. They include:
Suspending annual passage of the debt ceiling for two years until after the 2024 election;
Keeping funding for most domestic programs flat for the remainder of Biden’s term in office;
Rescinding or “clawing back” $20 billion for modernization and expansion of the Internal Revenue Service;
Giving slight funding increases to the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments;
Ending student loan forgiveness 60 days after June 30 (i.e., Aug. 29);
Approving the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a natural gas pipeline from West Virginia to Virginia, which was added at the last minute as a concession to Sen. Joe Mancin (D-WVa.).
SWFL Republican reaction
Rep. Byron Donalds, along with other members of the Freedom Caucus, denounces the debt ceiling bill at a press conference on Tuesday, May 30. To his left is Rep. Lauren Boebert, to his right Rep. Andy Biggs. (Image: CSPAN)
Before the vote, on Monday, May 29, Donalds tweeted: “After I heard about the debt ceiling deal, I was a NO. After reading the debt ceiling deal, I am absolutely NO!!”
Donalds joined other Freedom Caucus members yesterday, May 30 in a press conference to denounce the bill, where he told his audience, “Washington is doing it again. While you were celebrating Memorial Day, [The Swamp] was cutting another crap deal, more debt with no real changes whatsoever.” Donalds argued that deal reached by Biden and McCarthy made insufficient cuts and did not return US spending to pre-pandemic levels.
He also denounced Biden administration environmental funding that was unaffected by the deal.
“The people of SWFL sent me here to get this place back on track,” Donalds tweeted prior to the vote last night. “This deal doesn’t do enough. We must get serious because interest on the debt will soon outpace all other spending.”
“I’m a no,” declared Steube in a formal statement prior to the vote. “While I was originally optimistic about some of the conservative wins found in the negotiated debt ceiling package, I have read the bill, heard from hundreds of my constituents, and ultimately cannot in good conscience vote for this legislation.”
As of this writing Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart’s (R-26-Fla.) only comment was tweeted on May 22, before the deal was announced.
“Reminder: Biden ignored the debt ceiling issue for 97 days, and this last-minute crunch time could have been avoided,” he tweeted. House Republicans “are the only ones that passed legislation to responsibly raise the debt ceiling and address our country’s debt crisis. We have done our part.”
Francis Rooney, the former 19th District Republican representative weighed in as well: “Default would not be in the best interest of our country and the Fiscal Responsibility Act would avoid that while getting some spending reductions,” he tweeted yesterday. “The bloated spending bills I voted against in Congress and the obscene spending the last 2 years are the real problem.”
At the state level, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), a candidate for the 2024 presidential nomination, denounced the deal. “Prior to this deal … our country was careening towards bankruptcy. And after this deal, our country will still be careening towards bankruptcy,” DeSantis said on “Fox & Friends.”
The bill now goes to the Democratic-majority Senate where it is expected to be swiftly approved and sent on to President Biden for signature, although there could be amendments that change its provisions. However, numerous senators have pledged not to delay its consideration. The United States is facing default if the bill is not finalized.
The United States Capitol. (Photo: Architect of the Capitol)
The House side of the US Capitol. (Photo: Architect of the Capitol)
June 15, 2022 by David Silverberg
The US House of Representatives this afternoon passed a pair of bills ensuring a woman’s right to choose and access to abortion services.
Southwest Florida’s members of Congress opposed both bills along with most other Republicans in Congress.
The first bill was the Women’s Health Protection Act (House Resolution (HR) 8296), which passed by a party-line vote of 219 to 210. It prohibits any restrictions on women’s access to abortion services, essentially codifying the rights and protections contained in Roe vs, Wade.
The second bill was the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act (HR 8297), which passed by a vote of 223 to 205. The bill prohibits interference with a person’s ability to travel to another state to access abortion services. Three Republicans voted with the majority: Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-1-Pa.), Adam Kinzinger (R-16-Ill.) and Fred Upton (R-6-Mich.).
“By passing this legislation, we will preempt and prevent state-level bans and restrictions put forth by extremist, anti-women state legislators,” said House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-12-Calif.) in a floor speech prior to the votes. “We’ll ensure that all Americans enjoy the same fundamental rights to reproductive care – regardless of background or ZIP code. And we offer hope to the American people who treasure our freedoms and who are overwhelmingly with us in our mission to defend them.”
Southwest Florida’s representatives, already on the record opposing women’s choice, were outspoken in their rejection of the bills.
Rep. Byron Donalds and response
“The Women’s Health Protection Act of 2022 is an affront to our system of Checks and Balances and blatantly ignores the Court’s ruling which allows states––not Congress––to enact abortion-related policy,” stated Rep. Byron Donalds (R-19-Fla.) in a tweet just prior to the vote. “I will vote NO on any effort to expand abortion access in America.”
In a more extended statement he called the Democratic Party “the party of abortion on demand and without limits, including the unconscionable practice of infanticide. This ideology is sick, perverse and erodes our nation’s moral compass.”
Cindy Banyai, the Democrat challenging Donalds in the 19th District tweeted: “Thank you Democrats for standing up for women’s rights and access to abortion care. It’s beyond time to codify Roe.”
She also blasted Donalds: “Rep Byron Donalds has made it clear – his religion trumps your health and your right to body autonomy. Donalds is pro-forced birth. And his insinuation that Democrats support infanticide is disgusting and dangerous misinformation.”
Jim Huff, a Republican challenging Donalds in the 19th Congressional District primary, stated in a message to The Paradise Progressive: “Had it been me in office I would have surveyed my district the instant Dobbs was finalized for a better justification to back up these votes. The state forms the local guidance, but the federal government protects the freedom to seek alternatives in other states. For example, certain types of weapons are legal in some states and not in others, yet people have the right to choose where they may live. I have to represent the majority of my district for these hard decisions, not my personal beliefs.”
Steube and Diaz-Balart
Rep. Greg Steube (R-17-Fla.), a long-time opponent of women’s choice, tweeted: “Over 63 million children have been murdered since Roe was decided. That’s not freedom – that’s genocide.” He also made a one-minute speech against the bill in which he denied there had ever been a right to abortion under the US Constitution.
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-25-Fla.) did not issue a statement on any platform in the immediate wake of the vote.
The bills now go to the Senate where they are not expected to gain the 60 votes necessary to overcome a filibuster and be passed into law.
Alfie Oakes on the Tucker Carlson show on April 28. (Image: BitChute)
May 18, 2022 by David Silverberg
Alfie Oakes, the prominent and outspoken farmer and grocer based in Naples, Fla., known for his extremely conservative political views, will announce in one week whether he is running for state Agriculture Commissioner, he told The Paradise Progressive in an exclusive telephone interview today.
After announcing on April 28 that he was considering a run, Alfie (Francis Alfred Oakes III) told The Paradise Progressive he remains undecided about a bid.
“I likely won’t know for a week,” he said as he weighs his options. “It will be an uphill battle for sure.” In an interview the day before, he acknowledge that “it’s getting really late” to jump in the race.
Oakes is owner of the Seed to Table market and is president of the Citizens Awake Now Political Action Committee, which is backing conservative candidates in Southwest Florida. He is also a Collier County State Republican Committeeman for District 4.
If he ran, Oakes would be up against Wilton Simpson, president of the Florida state Senate, who has been endorsed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and former President Donald Trump and is currently considered the leading contender for the position—but Oakes said he’s a weak candidate.
“He’s a pay-to-play guy,” he said.
In the telephone interview, yesterday, May 17, Oakes acknowledged that “it’s getting really late” to jump into the race. “I don’t know now if I’ll run or sit out this cycle. I haven’t made that determination.”
Oakes met with one of the current candidates for commissioner yesterday but said he had not decided whether to endorse.
Oakes revealed that he was thinking of running for Agriculture Commissioner in an April 28 interview with Fox News personality Tucker Carlson. Oakes was interviewed on the online Tucker Carlson Today show, which streamed on the alternative video platform, BitChute.
At the very end of the hour-long interview—minute 57:40—which chiefly covered Oakes’ commercial history and issues facing the farming business, Carlson asked Oakes about his political plans.
“Alfie Oakes, when you run for office and I hope you will, call and we’ll announce on our show,” said Carlson.
“Well, if I do, I will be blessed to come up here and I am thinking about it. I really thought about making a run for Commissioner or Agriculture for the state of Florida,” he said, adding, “I’ve given it a lot of thought.”
The position of Commissioner of Agriculture is an elected Cabinet position with a four-year term. The commissioner is fourth in line of succession to the governor after the lieutenant governor, attorney general, and chief financial officer.
The Commissioner is charged with supporting and regulating Florida’s agriculture industry, conserving soil and water resources, managing state forests, protecting consumers from unfair trade practices, and ensuring the safety and wholesomeness of food in the marketplace, according to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services website.
The current officeholder is Nicole “Nikki” Fried, who was elected in 2018 and is the only Democrat to hold statewide office. She is currently running for governor.
To date three candidates are seeking the office, according to the state Division of Elections. Ryan Morales, a businessman based in Clermont, is the only Democrat. In addition to Simpson, the other Republican candidates are Richard Earl Olle and James Shaw, a farmer. Another declared candidate, Chuck Napp, dropped out of the race when Simpson entered it.
City of Naples voters resoundingly kept their municipality and elections non-partisan yesterday.
City Council elections are supposed to be non-partisan, according to the City charter.
Winners in the election for three Council seats all ran as non-partisan candidates. According to the Collier County Supervisor of Elections, with all seven precincts reporting, the three winners in order of their vote totals were: Beth Petrunoff with 23.8 percent of the vote (3,899 votes); Vice Mayor Terry Hutchison with 23 percent (3,763 votes) and Councilman Ray Christman with 21.4 percent (3,496 votes).
John Dugan, a conservative who, along with the Republican Collier County Citizens Values Political Action Committee (CCCVPAC) had targeted Christman for having once been a registered Democrat, was defeated, gaining only 16.9 percent (2,766 votes).
Ian Rudnick, a former Naples police officer, came in last with 14.8 percent (2,426 votes).
Of 16,497 eligible voters, 6,572 or 39.8 percent voted.
Michael Flynn, center, pledges “Where we go one, we go all,” a QAnon slogan, in a July 4, 2020 video he posted that was reported by CNN. (Image: CNN)
March 3, 2021 by David Silverberg
The dinner and fundraising event featuring Michael Flynn, former national security advisor, and Red Pill Roadshow, a QAnon-promoting traveling production, which was scheduled to come to Fort Myers, Fla., on March 11, has been cancelled in its originally scheduled location.
A new location will be revealed only to ticketholders 12 hours before the event, according to its organizer, The Florida Conservative blog.
Management at the Treehouse Rooftop Lounge, an entertainment venue in the Bell Tower Shops in Fort Myers, where the event was to have taken place, confirmed its cancellation there.
Word of the cancellation was also spread yesterday by an officer of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
The fate of a “secret” Michael Flynn dinner in Naples scheduled for March 10 remains unclear. (For more on the Fort Myers event, Red Pill Roadshow and background on QAnon, see: “QAnon show, Michael Flynn, coming to Fort Myers.”)
“I’ve never really believed in the Q doctrine, but I believe that Americans should have a right to free speech,” Gamble told Fabiano. “To say we’re a Q event or anything like that – nothing could be further from the truth. We’re a free speech event.”
The new announcement was made the day before some QAnon cultists hold out hope that Trump will somehow take power on March 4, when inaugurations occurred prior to passage of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution in 1937.
The US House votes to impeach Donald Trump. (Image: US House)
Jan. 13, 2020 by David Silverberg
While the US House of Representatives voted today to impeach President Donald Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol and the legislative branch of government, Southwest Florida’s congressional representatives voted against impeachment to keep him in office.
Reps. Byron Donalds (R-19-Fla.), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-25-Fla.) and Greg Steube (R-17-Fla.) all voted against impeaching the president and also against having Vice President Mike Pence invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution.
As of this writing, none had issued statements explaining their votes. None made statements on the House floor. None addressed Trump’s responsibility for the insurrection.
Today the House passed one article of impeachment in House Resolution (HR) 24, approving it at 4:33 pm by a vote of 232 to 197. Ten Republicans voted to impeach the president, none from Florida. Four Republicans and one Democrat did not vote.
“President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government. He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States,” stated the text of HR 24, after recounting Trump’s attempts to overthrow the results of the 2020 election and his incitement of the mob.
“Wherefore, Donald John Trump, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law. Donald John Trump thus warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States.”
The article will now be sent to the Senate where, if voted upon, a two-thirds majority can remove the president from office. As of this writing, such a vote seemed doubtful for a variety of procedural and political reasons.
The first measure up for a vote, HR 21, urging Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment, came at 11:24 pm last night and passed by a largely party-line vote of 223 to 205. Only one Republican, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-16-Ill.) voted for it. Well before the vote Pence indicated that he would not invoke the amendment.
While Trump is the first president to be formally impeached twice on two separate occasions and in two different bills, it took three tries for Congress to impeach President Andrew Johnson in 1868. Johnson was ultimately acquitted by a single Senate vote.
Although the Southwest Florida congressional delegation did not address their impeachment votes, Steube did spend time commenting on other matters. He took time today to attack Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-15-Calif.), one of the House impeachment mangers, for comparing Trump to deceased terrorist Osama Bin Laden.
In an interview yesterday with the PBS News Hour, Swalwell stated that Trump himself must be held accountable for the attack, pointing out that while Bin Laden was not in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, “it was widely acknowledged that he was responsible for inspiring the attack on our country and the president, with his words, using the word ‘fight’ and with the speakers he assembled that day who called for ‘trial by combat’ and said ‘we have to take names and kick ass’ that is hate speech that inspired and radicalized people to storm the Capitol,” he said. “And when you read the indictments from the US attorney’s office, they cite that they were called there by the president. They were in the Capitol because the president told them to do so. So we must hold this president accountable. I’m comparing the words of an individual who would incite and radicalize somebody as Osama Bin Laden did to what President Trump did. You don’t actually have to commit the violence yourself but if you call others to violence that itself is a crime.”
Steube stated in a tweet: “Comparing Trump to Bin Laden is an insult to every American we lost on 9/11, their families, and all of our service members who put their lives on the line to protect us from terrorists. Swalwell is the one threatening our national security. Resign.”
Steube has not to date criticized or condemned Trump for his words at the rally preceding the attack on the Capitol.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi brings down the gavel on the impeachment vote. (Image: US House)
The Paradise Progressive 