Rep. Dean calls out ‘underlying sham’ behind House hearing on crime in NYC

At a House Judiciary Committee hearing on crime held in New York City on Monday, Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., said there was an “underlying sham” behind the meeting. She said that Republicans have voted against gun legislation and that the reason behind the hearing was they want to defend former President Donald Trump, who is facing criminal charges in Manhattan.

Video Transcript

MADELEINE DEAN: And let me say, everyone-- I believe everyone in this room has sympathy for the horrific stories, the horrific losses of life, the horrific attacks, the anti-Semitic attacks on-- attack on your son. We have great sympathy. We hear you. You are properly raising your voices. Don't let anything that we have to say indicate that we don't think you should be lifting your voices.

But there is an underlying sham going on here. I know you don't like to hear it. Your voices are important, but two things can be true at the same time. We are not properly here. It is not our jurisdiction to oversee or to interfere with an independent district attorney's office.

We are not properly here. This is not our jurisdiction. I wish--

- None of us are asking you to interfere.

MADELEINE DEAN: Excuse me--

- Gentlelady controls the time.

MADELEINE DEAN: It is proper that you raise your voices, but it is hypocritical that we are here. If this committee wants to do something about violence in this country, about horrific losses of life, do something. Work on legislation with us. This weekend, two more mass shootings. Is that calling your attention? Are you up in arms to say, what in God's name can we do to reduce the slaughter of our children? Your children? Our children?

It's the third Monday of April and so far this year, more than 5,000 people have been killed by gun violence. Another 9,200 caught in the crossfire. Nearly 500 children and teenagers have died because of rampant gun violence. We know that number of families devastated and lives forever altered is even larger. And we're only in the fourth month.

None of this is new. Hearing after hearing, one Congress to the next, the numbers keep repeating themselves. More than 200 people a day shot. 40,000 people a year killed by guns. We know all this. Facts are supposed to influence action. Horrifying facts are supposed to elicit a response. Yet my Republican colleagues prefer gesturing about violent crime rather than doing something about it.

I'm reminded of the character in "Succession." The late Logan Roy said, you are not serious people. If you are serious about doing something about violence-- gun violence and other violence-- please join us.

Last Congress, as the ranking member said, the House passed a universal background checks bill. 63% of Republican gun owners support it, yet only eight of my Republican colleagues supported the bill. 202 of them voted against it, including every Republican member in this room. Again, not serious people.

Assault weapons are the firearm of choice in mass shootings. The Democratic House last Congress voted to ban these weapons of war. Only two Republicans out of 211 voted for it. Neither is in this room today.

When Senate Republicans were finally motivated to action by the horrific slaughter of babies in Uvalde, did my Republican colleagues here join? No, not a single one of them voted for the bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

Make no mistake. If the concern about addressing violent crime addressed by my Republican colleagues was genuine, they would have acted. There'd be more for us to be talking with you about here. We're only here today because chairman Jordan and his colleagues want to make a show of defending a former, failed, twice-impeached, crooked president.

This is not serious. Violent crime is a grave national issue. It demands serious consideration by legislators who want to make a difference and to save lives. That is reserved for us.