New Jersey Democratic congresswoman LaMonica McIver is facing expulsion from Congress after her arrest on federal charges for assaulting law enforcement.
The resolution from Republican Nancy Mace (R-Sc.) comes after McIver allegedly attacked federal agents outside an immigrant detention center in Newark.
“On May 9th, McIver didn’t just break the law, she attacked the very people who defend it,” Mace said in a statement. “Attacking Homeland Security and ICE agents isn’t just disgraceful, it’s assault.”
“If any other American did what she did, they’d be in handcuffs,” the South Carolina Republican continued. “McIver thinks being a Member of Congress puts her above the law. It doesn’t.”
McIver was released on her own recognizance at her initial hearing Wednesday for charges of assaulting, resisting and impeding an officer.
While she claims she is being targeted over politics, McIver was one of three House Democrats who showed up at the Delaney Hall facility on May 9. She is the only member of the group facing charges.
She is accused of trying to violently block the arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was charged with trespassing. The charges have since been dropped.
Video released by the Department of Homeland Security shows McIver using her elbows against an ICE agent during a scuffle.
The Trump administration and its GOP allies says McIver's arrest proves that the rule of law applies to everybody, even elected officials.
Mace noted that elected officials have a duty to uphold the laws, but Democrats like McIver are doing the opposite by obstructing immigration enforcement.
“Members of Congress swear an oath to uphold the Constitution and the laws of this country — not to obstruct them,” Mace said. “This isn’t a matter of partisan politics. It’s about whether we’re going to hold Members of Congress to the same legal standards as every other American.”
McIver responded to Mace's threats with sarcasm, writing, "In the South I think they say, 'bless her heart.'"
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has said expulsion is unlikely given the two-thirds vote needed to pass. Mace is not forcing a vote and is letting the House Ethics Committee consider the issue instead.
There is precedent for expelling lawmakers who have been charged but not convicted of federal offenses, Mace said, pointing to the example of George Santos.
The notorious Long Island fabulist was thrown out of Congress by his own Republican party after a House Ethics Committee investigation - and eventually sentenced to over seven years in prison on fraud charges.
