KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Republican Congressman Tim Burchett may soon face a censure resolution, according to Politico. A report from the news outlet said a pair of House Democrats were considering whether to introduce a censure resolution against him, directly in response to disparaging comments he made against Vice President Kamala Harris.
He called the vice president, and presumptive Democratic nominee, a "DEI hire" on social media as well as during several interviews. He also called the director of the Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle, a "DEI hire" during a committee hearing about an attempted assassination of Donald Trump.
The acronym means "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion," and Burchett's comments imply that both Harris and Cheatle were only hired because of their race and gender.
"If you do your job, that's the qualifying factor. You should not have to, there shouldn't be a box that you check. If you can do the job, then you ought to get the job. We ought to, as I've said, put the best players in coach," Burchett said.
Diversity, equity and inclusion policies have been adopted by organizations across the U.S. to both address systemic racism and work towards social justice, ensuring that leaders are representative of the people they serve.
Burchett's competitor, Jane George, called on East Tennessee to consider whether they want someone who makes these comments to represent them.
"If you really are okay with someone who is a congressional leader demeaning qualified, competent, amazing women — then you really have to step back and look at that. Because, guess what, women are coming," George said.
Democratic Representatives Tony Cárdenas of California and Jasmine Crockett of Texas were considering a censure resolution after Burchett's comments, according to Politico. It also said one person "familiar with the discussions said the timing was still fluid, but the plan was to move the resolution before the end of the week."
Politico also said the House's August recess could start as soon as Thursday.
State Representative Sam McKenzie also condemned Burchett for his comments in a statement released Tuesday afternoon. He calls Burchett's statements "disappointing" and "delusional."
It isn't the first time Burchett has faced pushback for his social media comments. In July 2022, LGBTQ+ groups condemned a transphobic post on social media he made about a woman in a New Jersey jail. The groups invited Burchett to speak with them and learn more about the LGBTQ+ community.
A statement from his office following the social media post instead called New Jersey's legal system "woke" and said "the only apology owed is to his crime victims."
He was also sued after posting misleading information on social media that wrongly identified a Kansas City man as the shooter in a shooting during a celebration of the Chiefs' Super Bowl victory. On social media, he also falsely portrayed the man as an "illegal alien," despite his having been born in the U.S.
On June 24, he also participated in an interview with Fox News that was posted on social media. In it, he discussed an openly LGBTQ+ White House staffer who made pro-Palestinian comments regarding the Israel-Gaza Crisis.
"It's a 'DEI thing,' ma'am. They needed to check the box. I guess they just needed a radical, transgender, white male," Burchett said during the interview.
During the interview, he also continued disparaging the staffer and other LGBTQ+ people. Information about the staffer's gender identity was not available.