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A hot mic overheard derisive commentary from Democrat House members when Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-Colo.) proposed starting House Judiciary Committee sessions with the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance.
“I want to extend a welcome to the new committee members. I’m grateful to be back on this august committee and I understand and appreciate the significance and importance of the work that we do,” Gaetz said Thursday.
“And I just think it would be nice in the spirit of national unity and national pride which I know we all aspire to do to a greater extent than at the beginning of each meeting the chair, or one of the designees of the chair, would have the opportunity to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.”
He continued: “We’re all aware that in these times it’s important for the country to see members of congress working together on some things and while I know we can deal with divisive issues in the committee, uh, it would be my hope we could start every committee with a great unifying, patriotic moment. I yield back.”
Gaetz’s proposal was quickly dismissed by House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler, who claimed the pledge was “unnecessary.”
A live-streaming YouTube feed of the session featured Democrats House members poking fun at Gaetz’s proposal, with Rep. Steve Cohen claiming he salutes the flag and recites the pledge at his home each morning.
“Okay, so somebody, I missed a little bit of what we just had,” Cohen tells fellow Dems, after being made aware his commentary would be broadcast to YouTube viewers.
“I wake up in the morning and I pledge allegiance to the flag, I go outside regardless of the weather, I got my flag up by my house and I pledge allegiance. Then I get on my knees and I pray. If I do that, if I, do I have to, am I supposed to do it again and how many times a day should I do that?”
An unidentified Democrat agrees, saying, “I think you should do it at least every hour.”
“Maybe in front of the Rayburn horseshoe,” Cohen adds, to which the Dem. House member replies, “I think so.”