Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) on Tuesday slammed Republican lawmakers for their online behavior during a House Judiciary Committee hearing, arguing they are “not serious” about the issues at hand.
“You all expected a serious debate,” Swalwell told witnesses called to discuss violent incidents linked to illegal immigration. “You are serious. This issue is serious. [Republicans] It's not serious.”
Swalwell noted Monday. Posted by the House Judiciary Committee Republican account An AI-generated video of Donald Trump hugging a duck and his pet cat.
The image references a false claim made by Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio that Haitian immigrants are eating pets in Ohio.
“You expect seriousness, dignity and respect from people who come here,” Swalwell said. “What is this all about?”
House Speaker Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) did not respond to Swalwell's questions.
Vance has since drawn attention for his proliferation of immigration talk, turning the conversation to actual cases of immigrant violence that Republicans have highlighted during his confirmation hearings.
Jordan and other Republican lawmakers referred to Vice President Harris as a “border czar” throughout the session and blamed the Biden-Harris administration's border policies for violence against some witnesses' families.
Immigration is one of the major issues in this election, and Harris is lagging behind Trump on the issue. Pew Research Center report A poll released Monday found that only 19% of Harris supporters are strongly confident she will make wise choices on immigration, while 39% of Trump supporters feel the same way.
Republicans argued Tuesday that legal immigration isn't the issue, but that strengthening background checks and required vetting is at the heart of the problem.
“If they're in the country illegally, it's because they're hiding something,” Patty Maurin, the mother of Rachel Maurin, who was murdered by an illegal immigrant, said at the hearing.
Democrats on the committee argued that the current situation is a bipartisan issue and that no significant action has been taken under several administrations of both parties.
Lawmakers from both parties urged witnesses and family members to continue sharing their stories and to work with border patrol to prevent such incidents from happening again.
“Immigration doesn't happen in a vacuum,” said Rep. Deborah Ross (D-N.C.). “It is the result of many forces that drive people from their home countries and draw them to our country.”
