Republican James Comer slams defund the police backer Cori Bush in tense anti-LGBTQ violence hearing

Liberal Rep. Cori Bush accused her Republican colleagues of ‘white supremacy’ during a congressional hearing on anti-LGBTQ hate crimes on Wednesday, triggering outrage among the targets of her barb.

Rep. James Comer quickly struck a sarcastic blow in response.

‘I’m not even gonna comment on what Ms. Bush said,’ said Comer, the most senior Republican on the committee.

‘But I’ll say crime is gonna be a top priority for the Republicans on this committee in the in the next Congress, and perhaps Ms. Bush could come give us some pointers on how she’s reduced crime in St. Louis, since she’s been in Congress and what her ideas are to further reduce crime in St. Louis. 

‘But wait a minute. St. Louis has one of the highest crime rates in America.’

Democratic Rep. Cori Bush and Republican Rep. James Comer clashed at a House Oversight Committee hearing on Wednesday, when she said ‘white supremacy’ had reared its head

The testy exchange came during in the middle of a tense hearing. Witnesses included survivors of the Pulse Nightclub and Club Q shootings.

Several witnesses criticized the impact of conservative policies, such as Florida’s ‘don’t say gay’ law, which they said were making gay, trans and bisexual people feel less safe.

Those comments received pushback from Republicans who said that terrorists were responsible for the shootings — rather than conservatives.

Bush, part of ‘The Squad’ of progressive House members and who has campaigned with a ‘Defund the Police slogan, made her comments about two hours into the meeting of the oversight committee.

‘Thank you madam chair for convening this important hearing, and let me say to the witnesses, thank you for your testimony,’ she said.

‘Thank you for staying, and sorry you had to listen to white supremacy raise its ugly head, you know, throughout this hearing.

‘But we are here to fight it and so just want to make sure you know that the rise of hate and violence …. follows a surge of anti LGBTQ plus legislation driven by Republican state lawmakers including in my home state of Missouri 

Michael Anderson, survivor of Club Q shooting, Matthew Haynes, founding owner of Club Q and James Slaugh, survivor of the shooting appear before the House Committee on Oversight

A memorial to the victims of a mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs last month

A gunman killed 49 people and wounded 53 more at the Pulse Nightclub, in Orlando, Florida in 2016.At the time it was the deadliest mass killing by a single shooter in American history

Comer can be heard trying to raise an objection.

‘That … that, madam chair. I mean, my God,’ he said. 

But her comments came as witness after witness took aim at state legislation they said marginalized the LGBTQ community.

‘We are being slaughtered and dehumanized across this country, in communities you took oaths to protect,’ said Matthew Haynes, owner of the Club Q nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where five people were killed and 22 wounded in a mass shooting last month.

He described tending bar as the gunman entered and opened fire, leaving one of his friends bleeding out on the floor. 

‘LGBTQ issues are not political issues,’ Haynes added. 

‘They are not lifestyles. They are not beliefs or choices. They are basic human rights.’