Just when we thought House Republicans could not be more apathetic to the Russia hacking, Texas Republican and NRCC leadership member, Rep. Mike Conaway, compared the Russian’s influence in the election to high-profile Latino actors and singers campaigning for Hillary Clinton. In particular, he seems incensed that world-renowned Mariachi superstar, Vicente Fernandez, sang at a “get-out-the-vote” rally in Nevada.
The Republican Congressman told the Dallas Morning News, “Those are foreign actors, foreign people, influencing the vote in Nevada.” Not only is this comparison bizarre and incoherent, it’s baldly racist.
These racist comments are unacceptable and do not reflect the views of hardworking Texans. Texas House Republicans, including Will Hurd, Pete Sessions and John Culberson, need to immediately denounce this brazen hatred.
“It’s already alarming that House Republicans continue to dismiss the seriousness of Russian cyber-attacks, but cynically appealing to racism to excuse serious threats to our national security is even more disgusting,” said Javier Gamboa of the DCCC. “It’s time for Will Hurd, Pete Sessions and John Culberson – and any Republican elected official with common decency – to denounce the racism coming from their Texas colleague, Congressman Conaway.”