'This Is Not What Americans Want!': Becca Balint Explodes On House Floor

In House floor remarks, Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT) spoke about a constituent who was detained.

Transcript

00:00I consent to address the House for one minute to revise and extend my remarks.

00:04Without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute.

00:09Madam Speaker, I take to the floor today because I'm angry, and so are Vermonters.

00:15We are furious because of what happened yesterday to a Vermonter, a U.S. citizen, as he attempted to return home.

00:23Wilmer Chavarria is a community leader. He is a school superintendent in my state.

00:28He was held and interrogated for hours yesterday in the Houston airport by CBP agents and given no reason for his detainment.

00:37Wilmer called this experience psychological terror.

00:41Again, we are talking about a U.S. citizen here.

00:45So when we say this can happen to any of us, this is what we're talking about.

00:49This kind of violation of our constitutional rights is how leaders use terror to intimidate us into silence.

00:58So I don't want to hear about how everyone is going after the violent criminals in this country,

01:03trying to get violent criminals off the streets, when community leaders, school superintendents,

01:08are being detained because of the color of their skin and the sound of their last name.

01:13We need to hold on to our collective outrage.

01:16We do not need to accept this.

01:18This is not what Americans want.

01:20This is not what Americans want.

01:21I yield back.