House rejects Dem resolution on Perry racial epithet

Jackson read out his entire resolution, which also called on other GOP presidential candidates to condemn Perry’s association with the ranch, and called on Perry to make public a list of lawmakers who visited the hunting ranch.

Later, Jackson had the House reading clerk read through the entire resolution again. At that point, the presiding officer asked Jackson to explain why the House should make his resolution privileged.

The Illinois Democrat replied that the House has previously made resolutions privileged in order to allow members to “express their conscience and their sentiments” about various matters. He also argued that all presidential candidates have a chance to address Congress, which means Congress should have a right to make themselves heard on the matter.

“If my motion … fails today, it simply suggests that the Congress of the United States is painting over a profound problem that exists in this nation,” Jackson said. “I personally would be offended if the Congress of the United States would not understand the gravity of this resolution.”

“Mr. Speaker, n—– is offense,” Jackson added. “N—–head is offensive. And for a governor of one of the great states of our nation to hunt at N—–head ranch, it’s offensive.”

Despite Jackson’s effort to relate the incident to the House, the presiding officer, Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.), ruled against his request to make the resolution privileged. He argued that to qualify as privileged, it must address “the rights of the House collectively, its safety, dignity or the integrity of its proceedings.”

Yoder also said the resolution seeks to assert the position of Congress “toward the action of others outside of the House without any tangible connection to the House or its proceedings.”

Jackson appealed the ruling, but Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) made a motion to lay Jackson’s appeal aside. Jackson then called for a roll-call vote on the Republican motion, and the House approved the motion in a 231-173 vote.

With that vote, Jackson’s resolution does not have privileged status, which would appear to keep it from ever coming up unless Republicans decide to schedule it.