<div id="readability-page-1"><div><h2>Topline</h2> 
<p>House Republicans are rallying around a bid to punish Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) for urging Minnesota protesters to “stay confrontational” amid civil unrest in the state – an effort that comes just months after several Republicans faced discipline for their own past comments.</p> 
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   <p>Representative Maxine Waters(C) (D-CA) speaks to the media during an ongoing protest at the Brooklyn <span>... [+]</span><span> Center Police Department in Brooklyn Centre, Minnesota on April 17, 2021. - Police officer, Kim Potter, who shot dead Black 20-year-old Daunte Wright in a Minneapolis suburb after appearing to mistake her gun for her Taser was arrested April 14 on manslaughter charges. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)</span></p> 
   
  <small>AFP via Getty Images</small> 
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<h2>Key Facts</h2> 
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 <p>Waters on Saturday told a group of protesters in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota – the site of recent civil unrest and rioting – to “stay on the street” and get “more active, more confrontational” if former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is acquitted.</p> 
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  <p>Those comments kicked off furious backlash from conservatives, including Waters’ Republican colleagues in the House, with Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) accusing her of “traveling to a different state trying to incite a riot.”</p> 
   
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  <p>Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), a vocal ally of former President Trump who is mounting a bid for New York governor, said Waters should be “immediately removed from Congress” for her “dangerous and toxic incitement to violence.”</p> 
   
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 <p>Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who was stripped of her committee assignments in February over past social media posts endorsing the executions of top Democrats, announced plans to introduce a resolution to expel Waters.</p> 
 <p>Other Republicans called for punishment but stopped short of advocating expulsion: Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) called for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to “take immediate action,” Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) said to “sanction” Waters, and Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.) called to “hold her accountable.”</p> 
 <p>House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy vowed, “If Speaker Pelosi doesn’t act against this dangerous rhetoric, I will bring action this week.”</p> 
 <p><em>Forbes </em>has reached out to Pelosi’s and Waters’ offices for comment.</p> 
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<h2>Key Background</h2> 
<p>McCathy in February pointed to Waters as part of a “long list” of House Democrats whose committee assignments may be threatened if Republicans took the majority – along with Reps. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) – in retaliation for Greene’s removal. He attempted to make good on that last month by mounting an effort to remove Swalwell from the House Intelligence Committee over his reported association with a Chinese spy, which failed on the House floor.</p> 
<h2>Crucial Quote</h2> 
<p>“I will go and take Trump out tonight,” Waters said in 2017. In 2018 she urged supporters to “create a crowd” when they see Trump supporters and “tell them they’re not welcome anymore.” Those comments were played during Trump’s impeachment trial in February as the ex-president’s lawyers tried to demonstrate a double standard by Democrats. Trump was impeached by the House but acquitted by the Senate of having incited his supporters to attack the Capitol on Jan. 6.</p> 
 
<h2>Tangent</h2> 
<p>Greene’s effort to remove Waters comes just one day after she scrapped plans to launch a right-wing America First Caucus in the House, and amid a long-shot effort by Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) to expel Greene from Congress. Greene has mainly focused on publicity stunts since her removal from committees, proposing a bill to reduce Dr. Anthony Fauci’s salary to $0, accusing Guam National Guard troops of an “ambush” on her office and delaying a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill.</p> 
 
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<p>Waters told protesters to get ‘more confrontational’ – but she also came up frequently during Donald Trump’s impeachment trial.</p>

Republicans From McCarthy To Marjorie Taylor Greene Push For ‘Action’ Against Maxine Waters