Rep. John Rankin, Democrat of Mississippi, today charged on the House floor that Jews in Palestine are dominated by Communists, and ?as interrupted by Rep. Emanuel Celler, Democrat of New York who termed this remark ?a damnable statement to make.”
In the ensuing altercation, Rep. Rankin declared that use of “damnable” violated the rules of the House and demanded that Rep. Celler’s words be “taken down,” ? disciplinary procedure which results in silencing of the member for the remainder and while not included in the parliamentary rules, preferred that members desist from its use.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
