Arizona Republican Faces Backlash for Using Racial Slur on House Floor

Arizona Republican Representative Eli Crane referred to Black Americans as "colored people" during a floor debate on his proposed amendment to a defense policy bill. Crane's amendment aimed to prohibit the Defense Department from considering race, gender, religion, or other ideological concepts in recruitment and promotion decisions. After Crane's remarks, Representative Joyce Beatty, former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, requested that the derogatory phrase be stricken from the record, which was done by unanimous consent. Crane later stated that he "misspoke" and that everyone is created equal. The House adopted Crane's amendment, and in a separate incident, Senator Tommy Tuberville refused to acknowledge that white nationalism is fundamentally racist.