Rep. Madison Cawthorn backed off a false claim he made about being the first freshman lawmaker to get a bill passed in the House after being called out on social media.
The North Carolina Republican initially sent out a tweet on Wednesday celebrating such a feat despite Democratic Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux already having achieved the feat in March with her Paycheck Protection Program extension bill. Freshman Republican Rep. Andrew Garbarino also got his Transit Security Grant Program Flexibility Act passed in April, which shores up funding to help with security efforts and improve the response that transit agencies would have for potential terror attacks.
“I am proud to announce that my office is the FIRST Freshman office to have a bill pass the House!” Cawthorn tweeted Wednesday morning. “This bill will provide our veterans with much needed assistance as they reenter the workforce! Never forget, America is the land of the free BECAUSE of the brave.”
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Bourdeaux’s bill, which Cawthorn reportedly voted in favor of, extended financial assistance to small businesses affected by COVID-19.
Shortly after his claim, the Georgia Democrat hit back at Cawthorn in a subsequent tweet.
“As a professor, I always taught my students to fact-check,” Bourdeaux wrote.
A spokesman for Cawthorn clarified to the Washington Examiner that the congressman was referring to himself as the “first Republican freshman.” Cawthorn appeared to retract the original assertion in a secondary tweet, but it has since appeared to be taken down.
Instead, the lawmaker responded to his initial tweet, admitting he was wrong about being the first GOP freshman.
“Spoke too soon! Turns out @RepGarbarino holds the honor of first Republican Freshman! Massive shoutout to him and his team! Very proud to be among the first!” Cawthorn tweeted.
When asked what led to the error, Cawthorn’s office told the Washington Examiner’s that “the mix up has been resolved.”
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The original tweet with the false claim was still on Cawthorn’s profile as of Wednesday afternoon.
