What started as an amendment about the Pledge of Allegiance devolved into a heated and prolonged debate Wednesday between members of the House Judiciary Committee during their first meeting of the new Congress.
The committee met to approve panel rules for the new Congress. But the jostling on a seemingly benign measure previews the partisan fireworks ahead on a committee tasked with broad jurisdiction that includes immigration, tech companies and federal law enforcement.
It started when Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz proposed a rules amendment that would give the chair, or their designee, the ability to lead the committee in the pledge at the start of each meeting.
