Rep. Ted Yoho removed from board of Christian charity over his comments about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
The organization asked Yoho for his resignation on Friday. In its statement, the group said the decision was taken to reaffirm “our commitment to coming alongside women and people of color, nationally and globally, as they continue to lead us to a more racially inclusive and equitable world.”
Yoho has denied using the sexist slur attributed to him by a Hill reporter who overheard the exchange outside the Capitol earlier this week. Still, the congressman apologized in a floor speech Wednesday, but said, “I cannot apologize for my passion or for loving my God, my family and my country.”
Bread for the World in a statement on Wednesday said it was “deeply concerned” with what “we and others perceive to be his non-apology.”
“Bread for the World is concerned that his behavior in the past few days does not reflect the values of respect and compassion that Jesus calls on us to exhibit every day and we expect from our board members,” the nonprofit said.
As reported by the Hill reporter, Yoho confronted Ocasio-Cortez on Monday, telling her she was “out of your freaking mind” and “disgusting” for saying poverty is a root cause of crime. Ocasio-Cortez characterized the encounter as “virulent harassment.”
Once Ocasio-Cortez walked away, Yoho called her a “f---ing b---h,” according to the Hill. A spokesman for Yoho said the congressman instead muttered the word “bulls---” to himself, referring to his opinion of Ocasio-Cortez’s policies.
Ocasio-Cortez dismissed Yoho’s public apology, saying in her own floor speech that the congressman was making excuses for his behavior and said she was not raised “to accept abuse from men.” She and her colleagues used the incident to decry sexism as a persistent societal ill.