House advances resolution that could censure Rep. Paul Gosar

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC) – For the first time in over a decade, the House of Representatives could act to censure one of its members.

In a vote of 220 to 2 the House moved to advance a vote for a censure resolution which would both censure and remove Arizona Republican Representative Paul Gosar from his committee assignments.

The move comes after Gosar posted videos on social media depicting him as an anime character killing Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and attacking President Biden.

Representative Ocasio-Cortez spoke on the House floor ahead of the vote Wednesday, saying that such depictions could incite “violence in this country”.

She said, “As leaders in this country, when we incite violence with depictions against our colleagues, that trickles down into violence in this country. And that is where we must draw the line independent of party, identity, or belief.”

Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the House floor saying the social media post was about “workplace harassment and violence against women”.

House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy is accusing Democrats of hypocrisy and Representative Gosar also spoke, saying that he voluntarily took down the post and that no threat was intended by his staff or himself.

Rep. Gosar said, “I rise today to address and reject the mischaracterization, accusations from many in this body that the cartoon from my office is dangerous or threatening. It was not. And I reject the false narrative categorically. I do not espouse violence towards anyone. I never have. It was not my purpose to make anyone upset. I voluntarily took the cartoon down, not because it was itself a threat, but because some thought it was. Out of compassion for those who generally felt offense, I self-censored.”