Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) called on Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to stay away from leading the Pledge of Allegiance during a House Judiciary Committee meeting as he feared some Republicans could make a "mockery" of it (You can hear Cicilline's comments in the clip below).
Cicilline spoke out against insurrection supporters during a chaotic debate that lasted nearly an hour Wednesday, beginning with Gaetz's proposal of an amendment that would require meetings to start with a recitation of the pledge.
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), the highest-ranking Democrat on the panel, opposed the Gaetz amendment and remarked that members "pledge allegiance every day on the floor."
"I don't know why we should pledge allegiance twice in the same day to show how patriotic we are," Nadler said.
Nadler later sidestepped accusations from Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) over how often he attended the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance on the House floor.
Cicilline later found a way to sneak shots at Gaetz and several other Republican committee members who voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election with "an amendment to the amendment," which said that the pledge "shall not be led by an individual who supported an insurrection against the government of the U.S. in any way."
"If we adopt this amendment, then we will be truthful in representing that stating this pledge is an affirmation of your defense of democracy and the Constitution," Cicilline said.
Cicilline then confronted Gaetz, wanting to make sure he'd support his pledge proposal so someone doesn't make a "mockery" of the pledge.
The committee eventually approved Gaetz's amendment.
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