Why the Marjorie Taylor Greene episode sets an uncomfortable precedent

She’s been stripped of her membership of House committees, but could the Deomcrats come to regret that? Sean O'Grady explains why it may not have been such a shrewd move

Ms Taylor Greene was stripped of her membership of House committees ((AFP via Getty Images))

Like her mentor and hero, Donald Trump, used to be, Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican member of the US House of Representatives from Georgia, is a significant presence on social media, and controversial with it. Her Twitter autobiography sums her up succinctly: “Congresswoman for Georgia’s 14th CD, Christian, Wife, Mom, Small Business Owner, Proud American, 100% Pro-Life, Pro-Gun, Pro-Trump, #MAGA, Likes =/= Endorsements”.

Ms Taylor Greene is in the news because her Democrat opponents in what she terms the “House of Hypocrites” have stripped her if her membership of House committees. Technically they are able to do this because they presently enjoy a majority in the House. However, the convention is that nominations for a party’s allocation of committee memberships are a matter for the party concerned. Her colleagues in the Republican Party, albeit with substantial dissent decided she was a fit and worthy person to take such roles. Predictably the argument has morphed from one concerned with Ms Taylor Greene’s personal views and values into a battle between the “cancel culture” and “free speech”.