A little while ago, the Virginia Senate Privileges and Elections Committee voted to advance this bill, “Expressing the censure of the Senate,” citing Sen. Amanda Chase on 1/6/21 having “addressed a crowd gathered in Washington, D.C., to urge that action be taken to overturn the lawfully conducted 2020 presidential election;” and adding:
“the inflammatory statements and actions of Senator Amanda F. Chase before, during, and after the events that led to the insurrection at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, constitute a failure to uphold her oath of office and conduct unbecoming of a Senator”
The vote was 9-6, with all Democrats voting yes and all Republicans – clearly terrified of the Trumpian “base” and of possibly getting primaried – voting no. See below for video, including of Sen. John Bell (D) laying out the case very clearly and skillfully for censure; of far-right Sen. Bryce Reeves (R) explaining that he’d be voting no because of “freedom of speech”/First Amendment, even though obviously you can’t yell “FIRE!” in a crowded movie theater, etc.; of the committee discussing what to do about voting today, given that Chase was claiming she couldn’t make it to speak in her own defense, even though she should have known about this meeting for days now; of Sen. Reeves claiming that Chase’s “logic and ideals don’t align with my moral compass,” and the vote itself.
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