Rep. Katie Hill's Final Floor Speech Torpedoes Double Standard That Forced Her Resignation
Sadly, Rep. Katie Hill (D-CA) gave her last speech from the floor of the House of Representatives today, after a scandal involving leaked nude photos of her prompted an ethics investigation, and ultimately, her resignation. The day she chose as her last had symbolism, though. Before her farewell speech, cast her ballot in the House's procedural vote in the impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump.
The first half of her speech was a master class in contrition and acceptance of responsibility — something of which the current GOP knows little. She also expressed gratitude for the honor of having served in Congress for even a short time, representing "the unheard in the halls of power. I wanted to show young people, queer people, working people, imperfect people that they belong here, because this is the people's House."
Then, though, she took a blowtorch to the hypocrisy and double-standards that forced her resignation into sharp relief with what men — especially Republican men in power in Washington, D.C. — are permitted to circumvent without the slightest loss of prestige.