Garden Grove Senator Janet Nguyen (R) was removed from the floor by the Senate sergeant-at-arms during her criticism of lawmaker Sen. Tom Hayden, who passed away Oct. 23, 2016 and was given a tribute ceremony two days before.
Hayden is famous for having traveled to North Vietnam with then-wife Jane Fonda in 1974. He was known as a 60’s activist and liberal.
Nguyen made her comment during the adjourn-in-memory portion of the Senate floor session, when members typically offer tributes to constituents who have recently died.
Nguyen began her speech, “Members, today I recognize in memory the millions of Vietnamese and hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese refugees who died in seeking for freedom and democracy.
“On Tuesday, you had an opportunity to honor Sen. Tom Hayden. With all due respect, I would like to offer this historical perspective …”
“He sided with the communist government that enslaved and killed millions of Vietnamese, including my family,” Nguyen said. Without U.S. support for South Vietnam, “I wouldn’t be here today. I would be dead.”
She was removed by order of Presiding Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens, who interrupted her to call her out of order.