Yelling match breaks out in Senate hearing with former Biden official over ‘two spirit’ safe spaces

A yelling match between Sen Josh Hawley R-Mo and a former Biden administration official broke out in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing over the need for two spirit safe spaces to combat gun violence Hawley challenged Gregory Jackson Jr who served as deputy director of the Biden White House s Office of Gun Violence Prevention and more in recent times as the head of Population Justice Action Fund CJAF over the organization s policies on creating safe spaces for two spirit individuals Hawley was grilling Jackson over a CJAF statement published while he led the group titled A Policymakers Playbook to Reduce Gun Violence Without Policing Communities which he revealed advocated for defunding the police and instead investing in programs that acknowledge the need for safe space initiatives led by lesbian gay bisexual two spirit trans and gender-nonconforming people What's two spirit Hawley sought JUSTICE DEPARTMENT MULLS RESTRICTING TRANSGENDER PEOPLE FROM BUYING GUNSIn response Jackson mentioned Well I don t know exactly Jackson went on to say If you look at the document the focus is on investing in violence intervention outreach workers sufferers services You say that we shouldn t invest in the police but we ought to invest in two spirit locality programs that acknowledge two spirit individuals What is that Hawley shot back I just want to know I don't know what that is I have no idea what that is After Hawley repeated the question Jackson admitted I m not comprehensively aware of the language but added I feel like I m looking at a two-faced individual because you talk about reducing violence but also speak out against violence reduction programs Oh no sir you re looking at somebody who s reading you your own words and I d like to hear an answer retorted Hawley FOLLOWING KIRK S ASSASSINATION LAWMAKERS REACT TO LETHAL POLITICAL SETTING 'VIOLENT WORDS PRECEDE VIOLENT ACTIONS' Here s the answer he went on The answer is you don t have any solutions You want to invest in gobbledygook and take away money from police officers who indeed keep our region safe and when you re called on the record you deny it It s all there in black and white and your record is there in black and white and it s a disgrace Raising his voice Jackson who was seriously injured in a Washington D C shooting in answered As somebody who s been shot and nearly killed I take offense that you would think that the last years were not focused on reducing violence Hawley shouted back I take offense that you do not answer my questions that you deny your own words and that you are leading this committee astray And frankly sir your policies are absurd they re absurd SPECIAL UNEARTHED BIDEN NOTE CARDS REVEAL HE HAD BIOS PHOTO REMINDERS ON HILLARY CLINTON SCHUMERAfter this exchange Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley R-Iowa slammed his gavel saying I don t think we re getting any place Oh I think we've gone a long way senator Hawley answered