Following Democrat attempts to use the State Police to bar Republican legislators from the N.J. State House, Congressman Jeff Van Drew unloaded on Governor Phil Murphy for the “shocking images” coming out of Trenton.
“Governor Murphy took an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the State of New Jersey which is crystal clear in denying him the authority to prevent duly elected legislators from being seated on the floor of their respective chambers,” said Van Drew (R, NJ-02) in a statement. “As someone who previously served in the State Senate and State Assembly, I am absolutely disgusted by the Governor’s actions although it’s sadly no surprise coming from a guy who once said the Bill of Rights was ‘above his pay grade.’”
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“The shocking images coming out of our State Capitol this afternoon of State Police under the command of the Governor attempting to physically block his political rivals from being seated in the legislature are reminiscent of Communist China, the former Soviet Union, or a damn third world country – not the United States of America,” added Van Drew.
Van Drew represented New Jersey’s First Legislative District in the Assembly and later the Senate before being elected to Congress as a Democrats in 2016; he later switched parties and joined the Democrat Party in 2018.
Late Thursday, Judge Allison Accurso stayed the State Capitol Joint Management Commission’s vaccine mandate requiring proof of vaccination to enter the State House; since the Commission includes four gubernatorial appointees, Republicans have argued that the new rule is an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers among other constitutional principles.
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