Video: Gohmert Questions NFL Legend Burgess Owens in Judiciary Hearing on Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties

Congressman Louie Gohmert (TX01) spoke in the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Hearing regarding H.R. 40, Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act. He talked about the missing history of the Democratic Party in the debate over reparations and responsibility. In his remarks, he noted that slavery and Jim Crow laws were part of the Democrats missing years. The missing years of Democrats history included overwhelming opposition to the 1964 Civil Rights Act as Rep. Gohmert noted, “Three-fourths of the opposition to the 1964 Civil Rights Act came in the House from the Democrats while 80% of the nay votes in the Senate came from the Democrats.”

He additionally said, “There is no reference in the history of the Democratic party platform supporting slavery. There were six of those from 1840 – 1860. No reference to the Democratic presidents who owned slaves – there were seven from 1800 – 1861. There is no reference to Democratic platforms that either supported segregation outright or were silent on the subject. There were twenty from 1868 – 1948. No reference to Jim Crow laws nor is there a reference to the role the Democrats played in creating them. These were the post-Civil War laws enthusiastically passed by the Democrats in that pesky fifty-year part of the DNC’s missing years.”

And added, “It is important that we know our history, and we not punish people today for the sins of their predecessors in the Democratic Party.”

He also questioned NFL legend Mr. Burgess Owens and asked, “What do you think your great grandfather Silas would have said to someone who claims, ‘the Republicans are the party of racism?’