“My amendment has nothing to do with whether or not colored people or Black people or anybody can serve,” said Crane, who is in his first term. “It has nothing to do with any of that stuff.”
Rep. Eli Crane (Idiot-AZ)
After quickly checking my calendar, I confirmed we’re still in 2023, and not in the last mid-century but obviously, Rep. Crane hasn’t quite figured that out.
During a floor debate over his proposed amendment to an annual defense policy bill, Rep, Eli Crane (Idiot-AZ) referred to Black Americans as “colored people,‘ a term commonly used before the 1960s and now considered highly offensive, ignorant, and derogatory.
Immediately following Crane’s blatant display of ignorance, Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, asked that the derogatory phrase he used be stricken from the record.
“I find it offensive and very inappropriate,” said Beatty, who was the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus in the previous Congress. “I am asking for unanimous consent to take down the words of referring to me or any of my colleagues as colored people.”
Crane then asked to amend his comments to “people of color.” Beatty insisted, however, that the words be stricken from the record. They were removed by unanimous consent.
Asked for comment about his choice of words, Crane said he “misspoke.”
The House adopted Crane’s amendment Thursday night in a 214-210 vote.
The Defense Bill:
Annual defense policy legislation is a coin flip in the House as the must-pass legislation careens toward a final vote Friday that will require Speaker Kevin McCarthy to rely almost entirely on Republicans.
The final vote on the National Defense Authorization Act is expected to come down to the wire as almost all Democrats are expected to oppose the bill after Republicans added conservative amendments attacking Pentagon policies on abortion access, medical care for transgender troops and diversity.
GQPers muscled through proposals to end coverage of transition surgeries and hormone treatments for transgender troops, gut diversity and inclusion programs and limit the specific flags that can be flown at military installations — a move that would effectively ban flying the pride flag.
