Higgins censure resolution over Haitian social media post gains support of 40 Democrats

Forty House Democrats have joined a censure resolution against Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) over a controversial social media post he made regarding Haitian immigrants.

Congressional Black Caucus Chair Steven Horsford (D-NV) introduced a resolution Wednesday to censure Higgins for a post to his official lawmaker X account that pushed claims that Haitians are eating pets in Ohio, engaging in "vudu," and criticizing the demographic as the "nastiest country in the western hemisphere, cults, slapstick gangsters."

The resolution will not be taken up until after the 2024 election, when the House returns to Capitol Hill in November. Congressional Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) sent out a release Thursday urging members of Congress to condemn Higgins's remarks.

"The vile and dehumanizing rhetoric being propagated by sitting members of Congress leads to real danger for immigrant families and the communities they live in, who are targets of a smear campaign rooted in xenophobia and racism," Jayapal said, adding that the progressives are joining the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus in supporting the measure.

"We urge all of our colleagues in Congress to support the Congressional Black Caucus' resolution censuring Representative Higgins and holding him accountable for his dangerous comments when the House returns in November," Jayapal added.

The resolution had 41 co-sponsors for a short time on Thursday after the House clerk's office mistakenly added Rep. Mike Garcia (R-CA) as the sole GOP original co-sponsor of the measure. Both Garcia and Horsford's offices confirmed to the Washington Examiner that Garcia's addition was an error.

Higgins's post has since been deleted after a number of black lawmakers, including Reps. Byron Donalds (R-FL) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), the only Haitian American in Congress, approached Higgins on the House floor during votes Wednesday.

Several Democrats joined Horsford on the floor as he condemned Higgins's remarks, and after much back-and-forth with the speaker pro tempore, he filed the resolution as privileged. House GOP leadership will have two legislative days to decide on the measure.

Original co-sponsors on the censure resolution include several "Squad" Democrats such as Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Cori Bush (D-MO), and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), as well as Reps. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) and Dan Goldman (D-NY). Cherfilus-McCormick is also a co-sponsor.

Republicans have been quick to either brush off or play down Higgins's comments. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said Higgins "prayed about it" before deciding to take the post down.

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"That’s what you want the gentleman to do," Johnson told reporters. "I’m sure he probably regrets the language he used. But you know, we move forward. We believe in redemption around here.”

Donalds said he thought Higgins's post was "not a good statement" and said it was a "credit to him" that the Louisiana congressman listened to his fellow lawmakers and made the "appropriate decision."