The House of Representatives is an “official resource” according to House Rules viewable at the House ethics site. The House is supported by official funds and therefore is subject to certain decorum dictating types business conducted there. Among the prohibited business is campaign activities. At President Biden’s third State of the Union address, Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene broke those rules by wearing a red MAGA hat inside the chamber.
Look at this idiot….. I mean #MarjorieTaylorGreene #StateOfTheUnion pic.twitter.com/qVtd1Ukw2j
— John Walsh (@itsJohnWalsh) March 8, 2024
“As a general rule, [official resources] may not be used for the conduct of campaign or political activities. Thus, for example, a Member may not film a campaign commercial or have campaign photos taken in a congressional office,” the rules state. Also: “House rooms and offices are not to be used for events that are campaign or political in nature.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, called out Greene, writing that she was in “direct violation of the rules of the House by wearing campaign insignia on the House floor.”
MTG in direct violation of the rules of the House by wearing campaign insignia on the House floor.
— Rep. Jamie Raskin (@RepRaskin) March 8, 2024
Greene also wore a t-shirt with the name of Laken Riley, the student killed in Georgia recently, allegedly by an undocumented migrant from Venezuela. MAGA Republicans have sought to pin Riley’s death to Biden’s immigration policies. Notably, Riley’s parents declined an invitation from Republicans to attend the speech, with many speculating that they did not want their daughter’s tragic death to be used as a political wedge issue by opportunists.