Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) has fired back at the Democrats for introducing a new bill that makes “a mockery of the First Amendment.”
Boebert was responding after Democrat Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) introduced a House Bill criminalizing “conspiracy to commit white supremacy.”
The legislation includes criticism of non-white people if it influences an individual to commit a “hate crime.”
The legislation, H.R.61 “Leading Against White Supremacy Act of 2023,” was introduced last Monday by Lee.
It seeks to “prevent and prosecute white supremacy inspired hate crime and conspiracy to commit white supremacy inspired hate crime.”
According to The Daily Wire, “The act would enable the Department of Justice to prevent “violent activity” in relation to white supremacy ideology.
“The bill does not define white supremacy.
“Nevertheless, it adds ‘white supremacy based motivation against any person’ to existing statutes that already have penalties for crimes perpetrated against another person because of ‘race, color, religion, or national origin.’
“The bill defines ‘conspiracy to engage in white supremacy inspired hate crime’ as an activity ‘between two or more persons engaged in the planning, development, preparation, or perpetration of a white supremacy inspired hate crime.’
“At least one of the two or more conspirators must have published material advancing ‘white supremacist ideology,’ ‘replacement theory,’ or any ‘hate speech’ directed against non-white groups on social media or other platforms where the content could be ‘viewed by persons who are predisposed to engaging in any action in furtherance of a white supremacy-inspired hate crime.'”
The bill also gives the Department of Justice (DOJ) the “authority to conduct operations and activities pursuant” to what it thinks is “necessary and appropriate to interdict, mitigate, or prevent such action from culminating in violent activity.
Boebert slammed the Democrats for introducing the bill.
She said: “In case you weren’t aware of what the Democrats were prioritizing in the 118th Congress, just take a look.
“When they’re not bankrupting our country, they’re busy making a mockery of the First Amendment.”
In case you weren’t aware of what the Democrats were prioritizing in the 118th Congress, just take a look.
When they’re not bankrupting our country, they’re busy making a mockery of the First Amendment. https://t.co/Q8DEEEioTI
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) January 16, 2023
Lee fired back saying: “Lauren, you would think now that you’re in the majority, you would actually consider reading the bills you tweet about.
“Or, maybe even hire someone who could help you.
“This tweet is inflammatory and fact-less and you know it.
“For starters, it took me about 32 seconds of reading the article you cited to understand that none of you know what you are talking about.
“H.R. 61 simply deals with adding white supremacy to a list of reasons to be convicted of a hate crime.
“So when the article states that ‘only white people can be charged with’ this crime, that’s flagrantly false.
“Your argument *assumes* that only white people can hold white supremacist views and that only certain groups of people can perpetrate violence motivated by white supremacy.
“My bill, the LAWS Act, adds to Section 249(a)(1) of title 18 of the U.S. criminal code after the words ‘race, color, religion, national origin,’ the language ‘or because a white supremacy based motivation against any person.'”
Lauren, you would think now that you’re in the majority, you would actually consider reading the bills you tweet about. Or, maybe even hire someone who could help you. This tweet is inflammatory and fact-less and you know it. https://t.co/XZ2BrhvNIA
— Sheila Jackson Lee (@JacksonLeeTX18) January 16, 2023
Attorney Harmeet Dhillon, who is challenging Ronna McDaniel for the chair of the RNC, said:
“Who wants to tell her about the First Amendment?”
“Sheila Jackson Lee should be introduced to the Bill of Rights,” a Twitter user wrote.
“Particularly the first amendment pertaining to free speech.”
