Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz (R) introduced a resolution to affirm that former President Donald Trump didn’t engage in insurrection. The resolution, co-sponsored by 65 House members, was spurred by a Colorado case that is expected to reach the U.S. Supreme Court. Last December, Colorado’s state supreme court cited the 14th Amendment, also known as “The Insurrection Clause”, when it declared Trump ineligible for the 2024 Election ballot.
Gaetz, who represents Florida’s 1st Congressional District, hosted a press conference along with 25 members of Congress earlier today. A companion resolution has been introduced in the U.S. Senate this morning by U.S Sen. JD Vance (R-OH).
“We are here today to authoritatively express that President Trump did not commit an insurrection and we believe Congress has a unique role in making that declaration,” Gaetz said. “It’s not the job of the States and especially not the job of some bureaucrats in Colorado to make this assessment and interfere with the rights of voters to cast their vote for the candidate of their choice. The very experts who often get on television and talk about securing democracy seem to be the first to want to then remove a candidate from the ballot because they are afraid that he is too popular. And now it’s time for members of the House and Senate to show where they stand on this question. We and the former president welcome and expect many more co-sponsors in the coming days and look forward to a floor vote.”
Other Republicans from Florida’s Congressional Delegation who signed on to the bill were Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, Rep. Bill Posey, Rep. Greg Steube, Rep. Guss Bilirakis, Rep. Michael Waltz, Rep. Cory Mills, Rep. Brian Mast, Rep. Daniel Webster, Rep. Byron Donalds, and Rep. John Rutherford.
