Gosar censure shows Dem. ‘double standard,’ Rep. Malliotakis says

Judy Woodruff:

And for more on today's events and this political environment, I'm joined by Representative Nicole Malliotakis of New York.

She is one of the 13 Republicans who voted to pass the infrastructure bill.

Congresswoman Malliotakis, welcome back to the "NewsHour."

As we said, you voted for infrastructure, but you voted against the censure of your colleague Congressman Gosar. Does that mean you condone what he did?

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY):

Look, this animation was a bad thing to post.

But if you look at the way Nancy Pelosi has played politics, she refuses to go after her own members who have done inappropriate things. Look at Ilhan Omar, her anti-semitic comments over the last two years. Look at Eric Swalwell, who had an affair with a Chinese spy, and he still sits on the Intel Committee, Maxine Waters, who has incited civil unrest.

So we can't have double standards here. And we're tired of Nancy Pelosi picking on our members, but not going after her own members' misdeeds.

With regards to the bipartisan infrastructure bill, it's a very good bill for my district, the people of New York. Over 10 percent of the money will be coming to my state. I don't know how any person representing New York City could vote against it.

This is so critically important, with half the money, nearly half the money going to roads, bridges and highways, and the remaining 550 billion in new spending going to transit systems, ferry systems, coastal resiliency projects, like the East Shore Seawall, so critical in my district after Hurricane Sandy devastated my community, and also expanding the capacity of our sewer infrastructure, which is so important.

And we just saw that after Ida.

Judy Woodruff:

And I do want to ask you about that.

But let me just ask you another two questions about the vote today. Are you saying that this kind of animated video that Congressman Gosar put forward is a good — representative of what the Republican Party stands for?

He talked about using it to reach younger voters?

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis:

Absolutely not. The content of the video was inappropriate, again.

But we're tired of Nancy Pelosi playing politics and not going after her own members when they do inappropriate things. I think you should be asking Nancy Pelosi, why is she only picking on Republicans? Why is she not going after those members with her own party who have done very bad things as well, in terms of inciting civil unrest, in terms of potentially sharing information that is secret information as a member of the Intel Committee with someone who may be a Chinese spy?

None of these things have ever been brought up. And I think the double standard is what this vote was about more than anything, just as Leader McCarthy indicated earlier today.

Judy Woodruff:

So, you're saying by the things that you have just listed that Democrats have done, that that's equivalent to portraying the killing by one member of Congress of another one?

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis:

The animation was inappropriate, as I have said.

Judy Woodruff:

I'm asking, because the American people look at this, and they wonder, what has happened to the ability of Congress to work together?

I mean, as Lisa Desjardins just reporting, there's real concern now that the ability of members of Congress to work together, the vitriol is just — is off the charts.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis:

Well, I agree that there is a lot of polarization in Congress right now.

I mean, look at — look at the way that I have been treated by some simply because I voted for a bipartisan infrastructure bill that is good for my district. And I think that's what representative democracy is all about, being able to go to Congress and vote for a particular measure that I believe is a good investment for the future of this country and for those that I represent, particularly a community like New York City with aging infrastructure.

We look for opportunities to work in a bipartisan fashion, certainly. But, right now, when you see Democrats trying to move this country in a direction of socialism, that has created a lot of polarization in Congress, and it makes it very difficult to get things done.

Judy Woodruff:

Let me ask you about your vote for the infrastructure bill, because, as you know, and you just mentioned it yourself, a number of those who voted for it on the Republican side have been subjected to very strong language from American voters, and this after former President Trump said that you and others who voted for it should be — quote — "ashamed of yourselves."

You were in the audience when he said that. What was your reaction?

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis:

Look, I respect President Trump, as you know. I have supported him. And he also endorsed me. I had a very good conversation with him the day following that dinner, in which we shared our views on this particular bill.

I'm happy to still have his support. And we're moving forward united as a party to push back against President Biden's Build Back Better agenda.

I will tell you, most of the angry phone calls I have gotten from people outside of New York are simply because they believe I voted for a bill that contains the IRS agents doubling to target Americans. They don't want to pay for that extra 87,000 IRS agents. They don't want to pay for amnesty. They don't want to pay for expanding welfare without work requirements or any other social programs.

That is why people are extraordinarily upset. And that is why the Republican Party is united. And we hope some moderates will be as courageous to join us in standing up against those who want to fundamentally change our country.

Judy Woodruff:

You said you had a conversation with President Trump, but it was his criticism of your vote and the vote of other Republicans that, it appears, has generated much of what Americans are saying to Republicans.

I just want to quickly play an excerpt of what your Republican colleague Fred Upton released to the public. This is what he — was left in a phone message from an American voter.

Man:

(EXPLETIVE DELETED) traitor. That's what you are. You're a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) piece of (EXPLETIVE DELETED) traitor. I hope you die. I hope everybody in your (EXPLETIVE DELETED) family dies, you (EXPLETIVE DELETED) piece of (EXPLETIVE DELETED) trash mother (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

Judy Woodruff:

To what extent do you hold former President Trump responsible for generating this kind of reaction?

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis:

I don't think he's responsible at all.

I mean, this is an individual who made the decision to make that phone call, which I think is incredibly inappropriate. But why would the former president be blamed for that? That doesn't make any sense.

I think what has really been the issue is the misinformation surrounding the infrastructure bill. And as I have tried to point out, it is 100 percent, cover to cover, real infrastructure, critical to my district and other districts across the country.

What people are mostly upset about is the — Biden's Build Back Better bill, that reconciliation bill, that we are currently fighting in Washington. We don't want to see more government control and intrusion in our lives. We don't want to see more taxes, more mandates. We don't want to see the doubling of IRS agents to go after — look into every bank transaction that you and your family make.

We don't want to see illegal immigrants getting benefits that American citizens aren't currently getting. This is exactly why American people are so upset. And I think that — certainly is inappropriate that people are calling elected officials, making those types of comments.

Look, I have gotten my own share of very disturbing phone calls as well from people outside of my district. It's very important that we do not try to mischaracterize these pieces of legislation, because that is where this anger is coming from.

And, unfortunately, that's what has occurred here. And that's why I'm doing as many interviews as possible to explain to people that these are two separate bills. The infrastructure is cover-to-cover infrastructure that we desperately need, we have needed for decades in our country, and that local and national leaders just didn't put it forward the investment that was needed.

But we're certainly united against that socialist spending bill, that Build Back Better bill. And we are going to fight to defeat it.

Judy Woodruff:

Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, thank you very much for joining us. We appreciate it.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis:

Thank you.