GOP Rep. Darrell Issa of California is calling on the House Judiciary Committee to hold a hearing looking into how white nationalism is impacting civil rights in the United States in the wake of the violent outbreak at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va.
In a letter written to House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte Thursday, Issa said lawmakers need to look into the attacks, which lead to the death of counter-protester Heather Heyer and dozens of injuries to prevent future instances.
“As the nation grieves and heals from the scenes of this past weekend, we have a duty to more fully understand what led to these terrible events and the persistence of these hateful, extremist ideologies,” he wrote.
The California Republican noted the Department of Justice is conducting a federal civil rights investigation into the events that took place and the House Homeland Security Committee scheduled a hearing on domestic terrorism, arguing the House Judiciary Committee has an obligation to hold a hearing as its responsible for dealing with civil rights issues.
“As members of the committee of jurisdiction on issues related to civil rights and democracy, we too have a unique duty to examine the impact recent displays of hatred from white supremacist groups have on civil rights in America,” he said. “Therefore, I write today to call for the full Committee to hold a hearing on this topic when we return in September.”
Issa said while lawmakers may bot be able to pass laws requiring people to respect one another, they need to take strides to promote behaviors reflective of the country’s moral principles.
“While Congress cannot legislate respect, decency, or acceptance of others, we have an obligation to use our platform to lead our country forward on these matters,” he concluded. “Thank you for your time and I look forward to working with you further on these critical issues.”
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