WASHINGTON (KXAN) — Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said he has no apologies over comments he made during an anti-Asian discrimination hearing Thursday on Capitol Hill.
While speaking during the hearing, Roy made remarks that the families of the six Asian Americans killed in Atlanta on Tuesday deserve justice, but then he went on to use a metaphor rooted in lynching as an example of justice.
“There are old sayings in Texas about find all the rope in Texas and get a tall oak tree,” he said. “We take justice very seriously, and we ought to do that.”
He also went on to criticize how China handled releasing information about the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, and referred to it as “the China virus.”
The comments drew sharp criticism from Democrats both in Washington and Texas, including Rep. Grace Meng, D-New York, who made a passionate and emotional rebuttal holding back tears.
“This hearing was to address the hurt and pain of our community and to find solutions,” she said. “And we will not let you take our voice away from us.”
Texas Democrats are calling for Roy’s resignation, saying, “No elected official in America should be able to glorify lynching — one of the darkest stains on our country — and remain in office.”
“Roy’s comments are painful and offensive to a country reeling from the horrifying anti-Asian attacks in Atlanta this week,” Texas Democrats Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said.
Roy issued a statement about the comments Thursday night, essentially doubling-down on them.
“Apparently some folks are freaking out that I used an old expression about finding all the rope in Texas and a tall oak tree about carrying out justice against bad guys. I meant it. We need more justice and less thought policing,” the statement said, in part.
He ends the statement with, “We should restore order by tamping out evil actors, not turn American into an authoritarian state like the Chinese Communists who seek to destroy us. No apologies.”
Here’s Roy’s statement, in full, that was also retweeted by his press office’s Twitter account:
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