Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard took aim at her own party, saying the new House rules that removed gendered terms from House language “defies basic established science.”
Asked by Fox News’s Tucker Carlson how the new rules empower women, Gabbard fired back that “it absolutely does the very opposite.”
“It’s the height of hypocrisy for people who claim to be the champions of rights for women to deny the very biological existence of women. And this recent rule change, that the House just actually voted and passed on today, that you were talking about removing references to, you know, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, from congressional rules and administration, it’s mind-blowing because it shows just how out of touch with reality and the struggles of everyday Americans people in Congress are,” Gabbard continued.
Gabbard said the new Congress should be focused on the distribution of the coronavirus vaccine, not House language.
“But also, it shows that, you know, their first act as this new Congress could have been to make sure that elderly Americans are able to get the COVID vaccine now alongside front-line healthcare workers. Elderly Americans who have the highest mortality rates from this virus. But instead of doing something that could actually help save people’s lives, they’re choosing instead to say, ‘Well, you can’t say mother or father in any of this congressional language,’” Gabbard said. “It’s astounding.”
“It defies common sense. It defies basic established science. It just doesn’t make any sense,” Gabbard continued.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rolled out new rules for the 117th Congress at the start of the month, including a ban on gendered language in House documents, in an attempt to “honor all gender identities by changing pronouns and familial relationships in the House rules to be gender neutral.”
“Democrats have crafted a package of unprecedented, bold reforms, which will make the House more accountable, transparent and effective in our work to meet the needs of the American people. These future-focused proposals reflect our priorities as a Caucus and as a Country – including crushing the coronavirus, addressing economic disparity, combating the climate crisis, advancing inclusion, and promoting integrity in government,” Pelosi said of the new rules.
The new rules passed 217-206 on party lines Monday.
