GOP lawmaker blows up Marjorie Taylor Greene's 'absurd' rejection of antisemitism act
A Republican lawmaker erupted in anger during a live CNN segment Wednesday over his colleague Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's "absurd" reason for refusing to vote for the Antisemitism Awareness Act.
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) shredded Greene for her contention that the act — designed to combat antisemitism on college campuses — would see Christian Americans arrested for their faith.
"It's important to rebut the absurdity that was just thrown into this discussion at the last minute," Lawler told CNN's Jake Tapper Wednesday afternoon. "To say that this bill now is going to prosecute Christians is absurd on its face."
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Lawler, the bill's sponsor, explained the bill codifies an executive order from former President Donald Trump that required the Education department to rely on an antisemitism definition crafted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and adopted by the State department.
"Antisemitism is wrong, but I will not be voting for the Antisemitism Awareness Act," Greene wrote. "[It] could convict Christians of antisemitism for believing the Gospel that says Jesus was handed over to Herod to be crucified by the Jews."
The Republican identified himself as a Christian as he issued his defense of the legislation on CNN.
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"I'm a practicing Catholic, I'm an Irish-Italian Catholic, okay, and I believe in Jesus Christ," Lawler said. He then condemned Greene's argument as "inflammatory and it's irrational."
Greene, in her refusal, cited a list of contemporary examples of antisemitism that appear beneath the IHRA's definition of antisemitism on the organization's website, which Lawler was quick to explain.
"These examples may be considered, but that it depends on the context of what is said," Lawler said. "If you're calling all Jews Christ-killers, then yes, that is antisemitic and everybody understands that."
"But if you're referring to the Bible in context, than no, nobody is saying that that is antisemitic."
Lawler turned the conversation to protests against the Israel-Hamas war taking place on college campuses across the nation.
"This bill is targeting that," Lawler said, "That is it's the intent."