Rep. Val Demings (D-FL), a former police officer, clashed with Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) on Tuesday during a House Judiciary hearing over the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act.
Jordan called for an amendment to the bill and went on a tangent attacking Democrats for their rhetoric about the police as the country observes civil unrest between the Derek Chauvin murder trial and the fatal police shooting of Daunte Wright, according to Mediaite.
“It’s interesting to see my colleagues on the other side of the aisle support the police when it is politically convenient to do so,” Demings said.
As she continued to say law enforcement officers “deserve better” than that, Jordan moved to interject, which prompted her to exclaim “I have the floor, Mr. Jordan!”
“Did I strike a nerve!?” Demings shouted. “Law enforcement officers deserve better than to be utilized as pawns! And you and your colleagues should be ashamed of yourselves!”
Nadler intervened to tell Demings and Jordan not to interrupt each other, but they continued to fight over her insinuations about his motives.
“You are using them as pawns because it serves your ridiculous political purpose!” she said.
“I have watched [police officers] live and die, and you know nothing about that,” Demings added.
