NY Rep Elise Stefanik May Be Censured for Referring to J6 Defendants as “Hostages”

(NationalUSNews.com) — On Wednesday, January 17, New York Democrat Representative Dan Goldman announced that he will be introducing a resolution to censure House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik over comments she has made regarding the January 6 defendants, who are sometimes referred to as insurrectionists or rioters. She referred to them as hostages, which echoes the attitude of many Americans who consider them to be political prisoners.

In his statement, Goldman said that Stefanik’s use of the term hostage was disrespectful to those prisoners being held by Hamas in Gaza right now. He also suggested that her language about the events of January 6, 2021, indicates a betrayal of her oath of office and provides support for those imprisoned for their actions that day. He also accuses her of trying to stop the certification of the 2020 election. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries would seem to agree, as he commented on Stefanik’s words only last week, saying that she should be ashamed of herself.

Posting on X, Stefanik referred to Goldman and supporters of his censure as far-left, desperate, and corrupt. She also suggested they are targeting her due to her “unwavering support” of former President Trump, the constitution, election integrity, and the rule of law. Included in Goldman’s 3-page censure revolution are comments she’s made over the past year, such as when she referred to the January 6 select committee as a witch hunt and characterized special counsel Jack Smith’s indictment against Trump as an attempt to criminalize free speech.

A censure in the House is a largely symbolic punishment. While there is a stigma attached to being disciplined by fellow lawmakers, there aren’t any concrete repercussions. Censures seem to be having a moment of increased popularity, however, as there have been three enacted by the current Congress. Only 27 lawmakers have been censured in the entire history of the House. The other censures in recent years have included Representative Adam Schiff, Representative Rashida Tlaib, and most recently Representative Jamaal Bowman over his pulling of a fire alarm in the House office building in September.