Gerry Connolly

We need to make a distinction between the expression of views, which is absolutely protected under the Constitution of the United States, First Amendment, and the use of violence to propound and propagate those views.

Do you think that was nothing more than patriots that got a little carried away, and they were just expressing their First Amendment rights?

The premise is the FBI is tainted; the FBI is doing dirty work.

As we learned, the Inspector General, the TIGDA, deliberately focused only on conservative filters, even though he was presented with clear evidence that the filters were nonpartisan.

There is no evidence he has ever done that, but there is plenty of evidence Donald J. Trump tried to do that.

Did you ever think it is appropriate for the President of the United States to direct or otherwise influence a social media company to take down its content?

I thought that was an inappropriate action by a government official, let alone the White House.

My, my, my, what happens when you hold a hearing and you can't prove your point.

It is wrong for government to call Twitter and say take down a tweet.

I can say to you, chapter and verse, from numerous mass murderers who attacked racial minorities and cited the great replacement theory as their justification for doing it.

I want to remind us that the last President to sign real comprehensive immigration reform was President Reagan, a Republican.

So, I think it's important to think about the people that we're talking about today as human beings, as people, as generally folks that are suffering and are coming to our country for assistance and for help.

I was proud to have supported the $7.2 billion for Border Patrol operations for hiring and for southern border reinforcements.

I think unfortunately we have heard from former leaders, even the former President, President Trump, calling immigrants, and particularly those from Mexico, rapists and drug dealers and other very derogatory terms. That is not a way to…

If we're going to be consistent and talk about the need to beef up the border, you got to vote for it.

We need more capacity and personnel at the border, at ports.

This would help measure cost savings and focus on using telework effectively, but this bill is sort of a one size fits all, come back to work no matter what. Let me say to my friend from Wisconsin that I had a constituent die from COVID…

I do think Stop Fraud Act has real bipartisan potential, and I would welcome Mr. Comer joining me in that effort.

I introduced the Stop Fraud Act, that in fact, would, by statute, do just that.

I happen to believe that Congress ought to revive inherent contempt enforcing subpoenas institutionally as the separate but coequal legislative branch of government.

When Dan Burton was chairman of the committee he issued hundreds of subpoenas--losing track of who he had subpoenaed.

I urge all my colleagues to support Mr. Mfume's amendment, and I yield back.

I think the amendment is not unnecessary. I think it, in fact, improves things.

I have been on this committee now, this is my 15th year, under Republican chairs, Democratic chairs, Republican majorities, Democratic majorities, and we have never, ever had a problem in unanimously waiving somebody on who seeks to…

I certainly share your sentiments.