Marjorie Taylor Greene's Big Committee Return Went Exactly as You'd Expect
By: Ewan Palmer (Newsweek)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Marjorie Taylor Greene returned to committee work in the now GOP-controlled House in typical fashion for the Georgia congresswoman, by spreading incorrect information and stoking the culture war involving hot Republican topics.
Two years after being removed from her previous committees in the Democrat-controlled House because of her extremist social media activity, Greene now finds herself with seats on two of the most powerful departments in the House: The Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and the Committee on Homeland Security.
On Wednesday, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability had its first hearing in the new congressional term to investigate what it called the "waste, fraud, and abuse" of billions of dollars of federal spending amid the COVID pandemic.
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) participates in a meeting of the House Oversight and Reform Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on January 31, 2023 in Washington, DC. She returned in typical fashion.Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
While questioning Gene Dodaro, the U.S. Government Accountability Office's (GAO) comptroller general, Greene asked how much "COVID cash" was given to abortion.
A visibly confused Dodaro said he didn't know the answer to that. Greene then made reference to how Planned Parenthood received more than $80 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans in 2020 as the pandemic broke out.
Later on, Greene asked Dodaro how much COVID relief was spent on critical race theory—an academic study looking at systemic racism in American laws and institutions that is largely not taught below college level anywhere in the U.S.
"It's a racist curriculum used to teach children that somehow their white skin is not equal to black skin and other things in education," Greene told Dodaro.
Dodaro, who again appeared perplexed by the question, replied: "I do know that. But there's provisions that the federal funds generally are not used—they're supposed to be used for curriculum."
In response, Greene pushed an unsubstantiated claim that one elementary school in Illinois received $5.1 billion in funding, which it used for "equity and diversity."
Greene's spokesman, Nick Dyer, told Newsweek that the congresswoman had misspoken when making reference to one school receiving $5.1 billion, and that she was referring to "the entire Illinois elementary and secondary school system."
Specifically, Greene was meant to refer to how Illinois received more than $5 billion for schools in the third round of emergency federal funding in 2021 as part of its reopening plan, which would include "an emphasis on equity and diversity."
Finally, Greene wanted Dodaro to answer how much COVID federal funding went into "drag queen story time," which the congresswoman described as where "men dress up as women and read books to children."
When Dodaro again says he didn't know, Greene noted that the Pennsylvania Humanities Council awarded $16,000 of President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan funds to the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center in Allentown, which does hold events in which drag queens read for children on weekends.
Greene's questioning about "drag queen story time" arrives as the GOP attempts to vilify the LGBTQ act, with several states introducing laws to ban performances of the shows.
Democrats and others had raised concerns about Greene returning to committee work in the new GOP-controlled lower chamber after she was previously removed from her assignments to the House Committee on Education and Labor, and the House Budget Committee.
Inflammatory Comments
In February 2021, the House of Representatives voted 230-199 in favor of stripping Greene of committee assignments due to her inflammatory and violent online comments and the spreading of dangerous conspiracy theories.
These include her support of the extremist QAnon movement, promoting false claims that the school shootings in Parkland and Newtown were fake, and an antisemitic theory that California wildfires were started by a "Jewish space laser."
Greene was also found to have liked a Facebook post calling for then House Speaker Nancy Pelosito get "a bullet to the head" before she was elected to office.
However, despite continuing to face controversy as a congresswoman, Greene has formed a key alliance with newly elected House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Greene wasn't one of the far-right and hardline GOP lawmakers who refused to support McCarthy as House Speaker, dragging the party through 15 rounds of voting in the process.
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Marjorie Taylor Greene literally objects to schools promoting "equity and diversity", as if they are bad things.
She is a white nationalist and Christian nationalist who has risen through the ranks of the fanatic Republican party.
Equity in leftist terms means the equality of results. It is Marxist and racist!
I think we should blame the Chinese Communist Party commies for this !
Imagine - diversity, equity, what an outrage !
/s
Imagine bringing it up and into the forefront especially for those who didn't see it lacking to begin with. Kind of reminds me of a person who would throw the race card at every turn that would do the same thing.
The good part of all this is, as Greene rises in the GOP, the GOP will sink in the eyes of the majority of the American people.
Her and Boebert exemplify the current republican party.
And Johnson and Biden exemplify the current democrat party, Old, stupid and senile.
Looks pretty even if you look at it. But excuse me for imposing facts into your partisan diatribe.
MTG and her Jewish Space Laser and being a speaker at White Nationalist convention says it all about her.
Its amazing to watch the right wingers defend her, but I suppose from their perspective they have no choice.
You have to wonder if there is anything a republican could do that they won't defend.
Pedophilia? Nope, they defended Gaetz during his investigation. I can't think of anything more extreme.
Surprised you brought that up, Biden molested his own daughter in the shower, or do demcrats not include incest as pedophilia? because it is so common?
How quickly leftists forget when it isn't something about Trump.
Ashley Biden has never denied what she wrote in her diary.
Well gee, then it must be true....I think, but I can't remember......
Not to mention..."showers w/my dad (probably not appropriate)". Not appropriate in who's opinion? And where does the molestation come in? Hmmmm?
Where were you during the Kavanaugh hearings and every last accuser couldn't remember when, where, or who? Outside of that it was Kavanaugh that is. But that was different; because it was women coming out against a Republican!
Did you even read the quote- it was from Ashley- Biden's daughter's diary. She is the one that wrote it. So it is her opinion!
Again.
You seem to intentionally miss that part.
This from people that claimed Trump sexually harassed his own daughter. The hypocrisy is galling.
and just like that you are defending inappropriate showers with children.
. I can't think of anything more extreme
It's amazing the levels they will stoop to in support of the old pedophile. Hypersexualized and showers with dad, but, but but, who said that's inappropriate?
What does one have to do with the other? Kavanaugh had someone filing criminal charges against him. Understand just that 1 difference?
Missed the part where she acknowledged that she can't remember? Did you miss THAT part?
Nobody claimed he "sexually harassed" Ivanka, they claimed that he lusted after her. And since he did it, on the Howard Stern show. It is a matter of historical fact. Go to YouTube, you can watch and listen for yourself.
Maybe in your mind. I have never defended "INAPPROPRIATE" showers. It is first your job to prove that particular shower, if it occurred, was "inappropriate".
That’s funny, you accuse gaetz of things without proving they occurred.
Not surprised. Between her and Jordan and several others, the gop is stuck on stupid.
Democrats have the Squad which boasts nine members.
Republicans still have seven more morons to come up with to catch up to the Democrats.
Sorry, the look the other way shit no longer works with me.
Republican thought leader, Marjorie Taylor Greene