GOPer Gohmert Doubles Down on Immigration Wacky Conspiracy Theories
It was only a few months ago that Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) enlightened us on his elaborate ‘terror babies’ theory, in a fear mongering scheme to change the 14th Amendment. According to his theory, terrorist organizations are sending pregnant women into the U.S. so their children will have American citizenship. Then, after receiving training overseas, these children will come back 20 or 30 years later to, in his words, “blow us up.”
Far-fetched? Yes. Downright irresponsible? Certainly. But that’s not where it ends.
Louie Gohmert’s influence extends beyond his Texas office; he is also a member of the Immigration Reform Caucus (IRC). Founded in May 1999 by former Rep. Tom Tancredo, IRC members have introduced some of the most punitive anti-immigration legislation in U.S. history and played a key role in scuttling recent immigration reforms.
As a part of the John Tanton Network, the Immigration Reform Caucus has ties with far-right extremist groups and leaders with virulent anti-immigration agendas promoted by white nationalists.
It’s not just immigrants who should be concerned about elected officials like Gohmert.
In addition to comparing healthcare reform to “putting condoms on wild horses” and asserting that the Miss USA pageant’s sexy lingerie photo shoots will lead us into “economic chaos,” Gohmert has recently engaged in gay bashing and woman hating.
Gohmert believes that gays and women should be removed from the military because they “cannot control their hormones to the point that they are distraction[s] to the good order and discipline of the military.”
It may be tempting to poke fun at such outlandish conspiracy theories, except that this is a man who wields an exceptional amount of power as an elected official. He uses that position to attack many of the people he is supposed to represent.