Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) accused Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) of wanting to defund the FBI during a confrontation on Wednesday.
At a House Judiciary Committee hearing about the POLICE Act, which cracks down on crimes by immigrants, Dean said the committee should also be focused on recent mass shootings.
“House Republicans have set their sights on defunding and abolishing federal law enforcement agencies,” she asserted. “This is a hypocrisy. It’s an oxymoron, what we’re participating here.”
“Remember, Chairman Jordan has said he wants to use the power of the majority to cut funding for the DOJ and the FBI,” Dean remarked. “Matt Gaetz, Mr. Gaetz, the gentleman from Florida, wants to abolish the ATF.”
She argued that the bill was “absolutely hollow, vapid.”
Jordan responded to Dean’s remarks by accusing the FBI of targeting Catholics.
“I do think we should evaluate how the American tax dollar going to that organization is being spent,” he opined. “That to me seems common sense.”
“So heck yes, this committee should look at that,” he added. “We have primary jurisdiction over the Justice Department. And we are doing that.”
“So it seems to me that it is very clear you support defunding the FBI,” Dean observed before Jordan interrupted.
“I didn’t say that!” he exclaimed. “I said we’ve got to look at, one of the things we do in this business, in this Congress, is you look at how you appropriate funds.”
“If you don’t want to, if you just wanna keep sending money to the FBI that’s spying on people in church, go right ahead and take that position,” Jordan said.
