Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) took to the House floor Monday night to kneel in solidarity with NFL players who chose defy President Trump and protest police brutality. Jackson Lee said you "cannot deny" that Trump calling players who kneel a 'son of a bitch' is "racism."



"There is no regulation that says these young men cannot stand against the dishonoring of their mothers by you calling for the firing of a son-of-a-B. You tell me which of those children's mothers are a son-of-a-B. That is racism. You cannot deny it, you cannot run for it, and I kneel in honor of them," the Congresswoman said.



"I kneel in honor of them. I kneel in front of the flag and on this floor," Jackson Lee declared.











"I kneel in honor of the First Amendment. I kneel because the flag is a symbol for freedom. I kneel because I'm going to stand against racism. I kneel because I will stand with those young men and I'll stand with our soldiers. And I'll stand with America, because I kneel."





REP. SHEILA JACKSON LEE: We simply ask for the dignity and respect to not call our mothers a son-of-a-B. I heard a young man who is an NFL player say that he will kneel from now on!



The only reason he is doing this is that someone had the lack of judgment to provoke the situation and call their mothers a name. I refuse to accept that as a standard of leadership for the highest office in the world.



Even if you never understand it, sir, if you think you're playing to your base, we will continue to stand in the gap. And racism is going to be under our foot. You know where else it is going to be? Under our knees.



We in the CBC have always stood for what is right. There is no basis in the First Amendment that says you can not kneel in the national anthem.