WATCH: Adam Kinzinger says GOP is sheltering ‘racists’ in farewell speech
Misty Severi
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Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) called out the Republican Party for “sheltering racists” and warned the party against inciting violence during a fiery farewell speech on the floor of the House of Representatives Thursday.
Kinzinger, who did not seek reelection during the midterm elections, claimed that the Republican Party has turned its back on liberty to excuse and incite violence, as demonstrated by the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection on Capitol Hill.
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“Where Republicans once believed that limited government meant lower taxes and more autonomy, today limited government means inciting violence against government officials,” Kinzinger said. “The Republican Party used to believe in a big tent, which welcomed the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Now we shelter the ignorant, the racists, who only stoke anger and hatred to those that are different than us.”
The six-termed Republican congressman has been one of the biggest critics of the Jan. 6 insurrection, playing a prominent role on the January 6 House Select Committee as one of the two Republicans on the panel that investigated the riot. The other was Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), who lost her bid for reelection in the primaries.
During his speech, Kinzinger again attacked the Republican leaders who justified the insurrection as “legitimate political discourse,” claiming it was a stark contrast to former President George H.W. Bush, who condemned the hateful bombing in Oklahoma City.
Kinzinger also warned that the future of democracy was uncertain in the current political climate, blaming both political parties for the current state of the country. Democrats, Kinzinger claimed, were responsible for pumping millions of dollars into far-right candidates during the primaries that could never win during the midterm elections, despite asking him where the “good Republicans” are.
“To my Democratic colleagues, you too must bear the burden of our failures,” Kinzinger said. “This is no longer politics as usual; this is not a game. If you keep stoking the fire, you can’t point the fingers when our great experiment goes up in flames.”
Kinzinger added that he was hoping to leave the country in a better place than when he first started in Congress but did not feel he met that goal. Still, he said he could rest easy knowing he did his best to stand up for truth, even if other members of Congress “cannot say the same.”
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“Americans deserve a democracy that values truthful leaders and real dialogue between our parties,” Kinzinger said. “It is my belief that we must put aside our differences and remember that the nation itself will only survive if the people have faith in one another. Unfortunately, we now live in a world where lies trump truth. Where democracy is being challenged by authoritarianism. If we, America’s elected leaders, do not search within ourselves for a way out, I fear that this great experiment will fall into the ash heap of history.”
Republicans took back the House of Representatives in the midterm elections and are expected to disband the Jan. 6 committee investigation started under House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Democrats, however, have retained the Senate.