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A yelling match between Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and a former Biden administration official broke out in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing over the need for “two spirit” safe spaces to combat gun violence.
Hawley challenged Gregory Jackson Jr., who served as deputy director of the Biden White House’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention and, more recently, as the head of Community Justice Action Fund (CJAF), over the organization’s policies on creating safe spaces for “two spirit” individuals.
Hawley was grilling Jackson over a CJAF report published while he led the group, titled “A Policymakers’ Playbook to Reduce Gun Violence Without Policing Communities,” which he said, “advocated for defunding the police,” and instead investing in “programs that acknowledge the need for safe space initiatives led by lesbian, gay, bisexual, two spirit, trans and gender-nonconforming people.”
“What’s two spirit?” Hawley asked.
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In response, Jackson said, “Well, I don’t know exactly.”
Jackson went on to say, “If you look at the report, the focus is on investing in violence intervention, outreach workers, victims’ services.”
“You say that we shouldn’t invest in the police, but we ought to invest in two spirit community programs that acknowledge two spirit individuals. What is that?” Hawley shot back. “I just want to know. I don’t know what that is. I have no idea what that is.”
After Hawley repeated the question, Jackson admitted, “I’m not completely aware of the language,” but added, “I feel like I’m looking at a two-faced individual because you talk about reducing violence but also speak out against violence reduction programs.”
“Oh no, sir, you’re looking at somebody who’s reading you your own words, and I’d like to hear an answer,” retorted Hawley.
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“Here’s the answer,” he went on. “The answer is you don’t have any solutions. You want to invest in gobbledygook and take away money from police officers who actually keep our community safe, and when you’re called on the record, you deny it. It’s all there in black and white, and your record is there in black and white, and it’s a disgrace.”
Raising his voice, Jackson, who was seriously injured in a Washington, D.C., shooting in 2013, answered, “As somebody who’s been shot and nearly killed, I take offense that you would think that the last 13 years were not focused on reducing violence.”
Hawley shouted back, “I take offense that you do not answer my questions, that you deny your own words, and that you are leading this committee astray. And frankly, sir, your policies are absurd, they’re absurd.”
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After this exchange, Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, slammed his gavel, saying, “I don’t think we’re getting any place.”
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“Oh, I think we’ve gone a long way, senator,” Hawley answered.
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