On September 1, Congressman Mondaire Jones (D-NY) and Congresswoman Cori Bush (D-MO) released the following statement calling on their colleagues in the U.S. Senate to reject Rahm Emanuel’s nomination to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Japan:
“As Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel helped cover up the brutal murder of Laquan McDonald – a Black teenager – by Chicago Police. In any other line of work, that would have rightfully ended his career. He has no business holding any position of public trust, let alone representing our nation on the world stage. As Black Americans, we find the Biden Administration’s decision to nominate him not only professionally and politically indefensible, but personally offensive.
“Over the past year, as communities across the country have come together to demand we dismantle systemic racism, Senators across the political spectrum have extolled their commitment to advancing racial justice. Voting to confirm Rahm Emanuel would betray that commitment. In this moment, Senators of good conscience must match their words with action and vote against the confirmation of Rahm Emanuel.”
Reps. Jones and Bush have previously spoken out against Emanuel’s nomination. Salon reports, “Emanuel dropped plans to run for a third term and left office under a cloud of criticism following his handling of the shooting of McDonald, a 17-year-old Black teen who was fatally shot by police 16 times in 2014. The Emanuel administration, which agreed to a $5 million settlement with the teen’s family, fought to withhold dashcam video of the shooting for over a year before a judge ordered its release in November 2015. The video showed McDonald, who was holding a knife, walking away from police before he was shot. Prosecutors ultimately charged former Officer Jason Van Dyke with first-degree murder but Emanuel continued to face allegations that he covered up the video to preserve his 2015 election hopes.”
Rep Jones, who represents parts of Westchester in the 17th District, added, “”In any other line of work, he’d never have a job again. Senators of good conscience must not vote to confirm him.”
One of Westchester other Congressman, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, 16th District,, argued that Emanuel did not deserve an ambassadorship after his tenure in Chicago. “When elected officials use their power against Black lives, they should not receive this honor. We still remember Laquan McDonald,” Tweeted Bowman.
Congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio Cortez said, “This nomination is deeply shameful. As mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel helped cover up the murder of Laquan McDonald — a mere teenager when he was shot 16 times in the back by a Chicago Police Officer. This alone should be flatly disqualifying for any position of public trust, let alone representing the United States as an ambassador. That the Biden administration seeks to reward Emanuel with an ambassadorship is an embarrassment and betrayal of the values we seek to uphold both within our nation and around the world. I urge the Senate to vote NO on his confirmation.”
