CNN Newsroom: Interview With Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV)

Interview

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Well, Jim, thank you for having me on. I'm here in Orlando, Florida at a Democracy for the People event, talking to constituents with the Congressional Black Caucus Institute, about the issues that matter from voting rights to the courts to our schools.

But what that member did, Representative Crane from Arizona was unbecoming. It was unprofessional, it was insensitive. The word itself has vestiges of racism. For that word to be used on the House floor in 2023 is unconscionable.

While he may have publicly acknowledged his error, he still has not personally apologized to the member, Representative Joyce Beatty that it was directed towards or the body.

And look, Representative Crane and people like Senator Tuberville have proven time and time again why the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion training is actually needed in this moment.

As Secretary Lloyd Austin said of the Department of Defense, our diversity is our strength. We have over 40 percent of our service members who are individuals of color and so, to have this resource within the Pentagon is something that is important to our servicemembers, it is important to our national security and it's unfortunate that the extreme faction of the Republican Congress chose to use this as a wedge issue against our military.

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Well, he hasn't given that apology directly to the body or to the member that it was targeted to, but the larger point is, it's not about any one individual, it is about the vestiges of why they are using woke as a wedge issue.

Look, if you're against people of color being in the military, just say it. If you're against us having representation in the private sector, just say it. But it's time out for using these issues to divide us, rather than to bring us together as a nation.

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Senator Tuberville is using a Jim Crow era tradition of the Senate, which is a blue slip to uphold the conformation of hundreds -- hundreds -- of military nominees who are essential to our national security.

These are highly qualified people. These are people who should be in their position. It is the first time in 164 years that the Marine Corps has not had a commandant confirmed by the Senate. We currently have an acting person in that role.

Unfortunately, this is why the Congressional Black Caucus had to call on Chairman Durbin to reform the blue slip process, not only for the military, but for federal judges, and other important positions, because it's past time, it's long past time, for these types of traditions, which have a history and segregation and Jim Crow to still be used in the United States Senate in 2023. We've called for that to end or to be drastically reformed and we're

hoping that Chairman Durbin will take us up on that request.

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Yes, not only are they trying to defund diversity, equity, and inclusion, but they are denying servicemembers access to reproductive justice. Servicemembers who do not have a choice in where they're deployed, and if they happen to be deployed to a state, like Florida where I am at today with Representative Maxwell or Texas where they're now trying to take these rights away, those servicemembers don't have a choice.

So yes, the Senate does have to act to correct these most extreme provisions that now have been advanced. It's unfortunate that Speaker McCarthy allowed the far-right faction to take over this bill.

This is the first time, Jim that I've not been able to vote for the National Defense Authorization Act. I have four military installations in my district in Nevada. I support providing funding to our military and their ability to have the resources and the tools, but not when it includes these wedge issues that are against people's fundamental right to health care, reproductive justice, or that defund and erode diversity and equity, which is a strength within our military, not a weakness.

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Well, I want to commend the attorney general and the special prosecutor for doing their job, but this is why we're here in Orlando, having a forum with constituents to talk about the attacks on democracy. This is not only about the former president, and those who were

involved in overturning a duly elected election, or to deny the voters the results of that election by not upholding the electoral process.

You know, I was there on January 6 at the US Capitol. It was not just an attack on our building, it was an attack on the foundations of our democracy, which are our schools, it's the courts, and it is the most important and most fundamental right, which is our right to vote, that's why the Congressional Black Caucus, our members are working to pass the voting -- John R. Lewis Voting Rights Enhancement Act. It's the first time in 40 years that Republicans have not worked with us to reauthorize that. These are the cornerstones of our democracy.

We'll be talking to constituents here later about what they have, their role and their power in ensuring that we continue to uphold our democracy at a time that it's under attack, not just the last election, but the elections to come.

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Thank you, Jim, for having me on.

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