A congressman representing a largely rural area in Texas told Fox News that California Rep. Judy Chu should be denied security clearance because she is disloyal to the United States.
Chu, whose 28th Congressional District includes Pasadena and the west San Gabriel Valley, is the first Chinese-American elected to the House of Representatives. The Democrat is a Los Angeles native who graduated from UCLA.
Rep. Lance Gooden, whose district stretches from the edge of the Dallas suburbs into East Texas, told Fox host Jesse Walters on Thursday that he was standing up to China.
“I’m really disappointed and shocked that someone like Judy Chu would have a security clearance and be entitled to confidential intelligence briefings,” he said.
Gooden’s comments were prompted by Chu’s support of President Biden’s nominee for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation organization, Dominic Ng, who Gooden accused of having ties to China. The accusation was based on a report in the right-wing Dally Caller, which was co-founded by Fox host Tucker Carlson.
The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus issued a statement saying, “Insinuating that Chair Chu is disloyal to the United States because she is Chinese-American is categorically wrong. This type of racist targeting and profiling of Chinese Americans by right-wing extremists is not only xenophobic, it is incredibly dangerous.”
On Friday, Gooden doubled down on his accusation, criticizing Chu for what he called “disloyalty to our nation.”
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York defended Chu, saying “Lance Gooden’s slanderous accusation of disloyalty against Rep. Chu is dangerous, unconscionable and xenophobic,” and pointing out that Goodwin voted against certifying the election in 2020.
“Look in the mirror, Lance. You have zero credibility,” said Jeffries.