Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is facing pushback after suggesting American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten, who’s a stepmother, is “not a mother.”
After Weingarten told the congresswoman she is a “mother by marriage” at a hearing on Wednesday, Greene repeatedly claimed the union leader is “not a mother.”
“The problem is people like you need to admit that you’re just a political activist, not a teacher, not a mother and not a medical doctor,” Greene said.
Greene and other Republican lawmakers grilled Weingarten on the Subcommittee for the Coronavirus Pandemic on Wednesday over AFT’s role in the school reopening guidance issued by the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC).
“Let me tell you, I am a mother, and all three of my children were directly affected by the school closures by your recommendations, which is something that you really can’t understand,” Greene added.
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) stepped in with a point of order after Greene’s comments, calling them “unacceptable.”
“It’d be nice if we didn’t attack the witnesses, particularly making a decision about whether or not she’s a mother,” Garcia said.
“You are a mother,” he added to Weingarten. “Thank you for being a great parent.”
Other Democratic representatives also expressed outrage over the remarks. Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) noted on Twitter that he was adopted.
“My mom and dad adopted me at birth and they are my parents. F— you and your bigoted questions @mtgreenee,” Frost said.
“Adopted moms + dads, stepmoms and stepdads — they are all real parents, full stop,” Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) said in a tweet. “Anyone who tries to deny this fact is just a horrible person. No surprise it’s coming from @RepMTG.”