'Raw political sham': House Democrat torches GOP witness for invoking racist Great Replacement Theory

19 July 2023

United States Representative Delia Ramirez (D-Illinois) clapped back at a witness who invoked the controversial and racist "Great Replacement Theory" during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on Wednesday.

Right-wing lawmakers like House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-New York) have repeatedly referenced GRT — which maintains that white people are being supplanted by foreigners of color — as an excuse to crack down on undocumented immigrants. The conspiracy has also been cited by perpetrators of mass shootings to rationalize murder.

Meanwhile, Republicans are pushing for the removal of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, whom they allege "created our nation's historic border crisis by implementing intentionally reckless policies, failing to enforce the laws passed by Congress, and ignoring the advice, recommendations, and warnings of experienced law enforcement."

Ramirez's remarks came after Chairman Mark Green (R-Tennessee) called on her by the wrong name.

"Ms. Garcia, you're recognized," Green announced.

"Ramirez. Ms. Ramirez," the congresswoman corrected.

"Ms. Ramirez, I'm sorry," Green replied.

"Thank you," Ramirez continued. "And as I think about the hearing now and hearing the witnesses, I think about just last year how a horrific domestic terror attack at Buffalo, New York supermarket left our nation reeling. My colleagues across the aisle offered up their thoughts and prayers, but they offered no actions to address racially and ethnically-motivated violent extremism. It is not lost on me that before murdering ten people at the supermarket last year, the shooter wrote and I quote, 'We are experiencing an invasion on a level never seen before in history.' However, twisted justification the shooter believed he was repelling an invasion of the United States by immigrants from Latin America. Does that sound familiar?" Ramirez asked retired Department of Justice Special Agent in Charge of Special Operations Division Derek Maltz.

"Mr. Maltz, in your testimony you said, 'I know what's going on in America,' so let me ask you. Do you support the assertion that the United States is experiencing a historic invasion by immigrants? That's a yes or no question," Ramirez said.

"Illegal immigrants. Immigrants from around the world, yes," Maltz responded.

"Yes or no," Ramirez reiterated.

"Yes," stated Maltz.

"So you believe that we are experiencing a historic invasion of immigrants?" Ramirez added.

"Yes," Maltz confirmed.

"So despite knowing that the Pittsburgh shooter justified his actions based on the idea of an immigrant invasion to replace white people, despite knowing that invasion ideology was used to justify the shootings in El Paso and Buffalo, you continued to espouse this Great Replacement Theory — an extremist ideology that people like me when my mother crossed the border pregnant with me — don't deserve to be here because we are invading the country?" Ramirez retorted.

"Mr. Chairman, this hearing is not a fact-finding mission," Ramirez concluded. "It's a raw political sham to stoke fear, and it will continue to justify the violence against immigrant communities, and I find that unacceptable."

Watch below via Heartland Signal or at this link.

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