GOP lawmakers call for censure of Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, ask that she resign from Congress

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) introduced a measure Monday night to censure Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and asked that she resign from her position in Congress over recent comments she made against Trump administration officials.

What did she say, anyway?

Pointing to White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders' ejection Friday from a Lexington, Virginia, restaurant, Waters told a crowd gathered at a Saturday rally, "If you think we’re rallying now, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet! Already you have members of your Cabinet that are being booed out of restaurants."

"We have protesters taking up at their house who are saying, ‘No peace, no sleep. No peace, no sleep,'" she added.

“Let’s make sure we show up wherever we have to show up,” Waters continued, “and if you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them, and you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere.”

According to The Hill, Waters defended the inflammatory remarks on Monday.

“I have nothing to do with the way people decide to protest. Protest is the democratic way as long as it is peaceful,” Waters explained. “I believe in peaceful protest. It is guaranteed to you in a democracy.”

What are the details in the censure resolution?

Biggs introduced the measure in an effort to stop Waters from encouraging the public to confront Trump administration officials.

Biggs told The Hill that her rhetoric doesn't "become somebody who's in Congress" and noted that Waters should face disciplinary action as a result.

“So we just introduced it, we have some co-sponsors, but what she did was to basically incite people to come after and attack members of the president’s Cabinet,” Biggs told the outlet. “And also spread that out to more people.”

He added, “Everybody agrees that it was just highly objectionable what she did.”

Biggs' measure calls for Waters to apologize to said officials for "endangering their lives and sowing seeds of discord," as well as to release an official statement condemning violence and harassing speech. The measure also requests that Waters resign from her position in Congress.

According to The Hill, at least five Congress members have signed on to the motion to censure Waters at the time of this writing.

Biggs also shared a statement about the measure on Twitter, which he captioned, "Tonight, I introduced a resolution to censure and condemn Maxine Waters for her recent comments, that encouraged actions that jeopardized the safety of government officials. Her rhetoric, as a Member of Congress, was unacceptable."

Tonight, I introduced a resolution to censure and condemn Maxine Waters for her recent comments, that encouraged actions that jeopardized the safety of government officials. Her rhetoric, as a Member of Congress, was unacceptable. STATEMENT: https://t.co/9GbZZyFk5p

— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) June 26, 2018

The statement read:

Individuals have the right to debate their differences civilly, without fear of retribution. Unfortunately, Maxine Waters' comments condone public violence and encourage actions that jeopardize the safety and security of government officials and the American people.

A little over a year ago, we witnessed a horrific shooting targeted at Congressional Republicans. That day, we promised that we would be better; that we would argue about ideas not people.

Unfortunately, we are returning to the vitriol of that day. Those determined to undermine the progress and agenda of President Donald Trump, have taken it upon themselves to demonize their opposition. As Members of Congress we have the responsibility to lead by example and this rhetoric is simply unacceptable.

You can see the rest of the statement here.