House votes to censure Gosar over violent video

WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives censured Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona for a violent video he posted online.

Two Republicans, Rep. Liz Cheney and Rep. Adam Kinzinger, joined Democrats in voting to censure Gosar. The resolution passed by a final vote of 223-207— with one Republican voting present.

The animated video Gosar shared shows him attacking Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York with a sword.

Ocasio-Cortez spoke about the video prior to the vote.

“It is a sad day in which a member who leads a political party in the United States of America can not bring themselves to say that issuing a depiction of murdering a member of Congress is wrong,” she said.

Gosar rejected that the video condoned violence.

“I do not espouse violence towards anyone. I never have. I voluntarily took the cartoon down, not because it was a threat, but some thought it was. Out of compassion who generally thought offense, I self-censored,” he said.

Gosar will now be removed from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and the Natural Resources Committee.

Gosar served on the Oversight and Reform Committee with Ocasio-Cortez.

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