Marjorie Taylor Greene clashes with Ocasio-Cortez in chaotic hearing

CNN
17 May 202410:16

Summary

TLDRThe transcript captures a chaotic and heated exchange during a committee meeting, highlighting the breakdown of decorum and the personal attacks that have become all too common in political discourse. Members of the committee engage in ad hominem insults, with accusations of inappropriate conduct and calls for apologies. The discussion devolves into a debate about the relevance of personal comments and the impact on the committee's ability to function effectively. The lack of focus on substantive issues and the prevalence of personal attacks underscore the challenges facing the legislative process and the need for a return to civility and compromise.

Takeaways

  • 🗣️ The script depicts a chaotic committee meeting with heated exchanges and personal attacks among members.
  • 👥 There is a clear lack of decorum and respect for parliamentary procedure, with members speaking over each other and ignoring the chair's calls for order.
  • 🤬 Personal attacks are made, focusing on appearances rather than policy or political differences, highlighting a departure from substantive debate.
  • 🚫 The committee chair struggles to maintain control, with members challenging his rulings and authority.
  • 📢 A member's words are ordered to be struck from the record due to inappropriate personal comments, indicating a breach of conduct.
  • 🙅‍♀️ One member refuses to apologize for her comments, further escalating the tension and conflict within the committee.
  • 🤔 There is a call for an apology and a return to respectful discourse, emphasizing the importance of maintaining professional standards in political debate.
  • 👉 The script suggests a broader issue with the current state of the House of Representatives, characterized by unproductivity and a lack of focus on substantive issues.
  • 🎪 The behavior of the committee members is likened to a circus, indicating a loss of seriousness and professionalism in political discourse.
  • 👎 The public is criticized for electing individuals who contribute to this dysfunction, suggesting a need for voters to prioritize compromise and results over personal celebrity or opposition.
  • 🔄 The script implies a need for a return to traditional methods of governance, where lawmakers focus on building consensus and passing legislation to address the nation's problems.

Q & A

  • What is the primary issue being discussed in the committee meeting?

    -The primary issue discussed in the committee meeting is the conduct of the members, particularly the inappropriate personal attacks and insults exchanged between them, which is causing a disruption in the proceedings.

  • Who is Mr. Green and what is his role in the meeting?

    -Mr. Green is a member of the committee who is recognized to speak during the meeting. He is involved in the discussions and motions concerning the conduct of other members.

  • What does Ms. Greene accuse the Democrats of employing?

    -Ms. Greene makes an inflammatory and unclear statement, asking if any Democrats on the committee are employing 'judge Martians,' which seems to be a non-sequitur and is not directly related to the main discussion.

  • What is the significance of the term 'porn star' in the context of this meeting?

    -The term 'porn star' is used in a derogatory manner, seemingly as an insult directed towards another member, contributing to the unprofessionalism and personal attacks within the committee meeting.

  • Why does Mr. Lynch raise a point of order?

    -Mr. Lynch raises a point of order to question the conduct of the chairman in connection with the hearing, specifically regarding fundraising activities, and whether it should be referred to the Ethics Committee.

  • What is the motion made by Mr. Lynch regarding Ms. Greene's words?

    -Mr. Lynch moves to take down Ms. Greene's words, which he deems unacceptable, and suggests that her comments are an abuse of the committee's proceedings.

  • What does Ms. Greene agree to do regarding her words in the meeting?

    -Ms. Greene agrees to strike her words from the record, but she does not apologize for her comments, maintaining her stance despite the objections from other members.

  • What is the objection made by Mr. Raskin?

    -Mr. Raskin objects to Ms. Greene's request to strike her words, arguing that she should also offer a sincere apology for her personal attacks against another member.

  • What is the underlying problem discussed regarding the behavior of the committee members?

    -The underlying problem discussed is the unprofessional and personal nature of the attacks between members, which is seen as contrary to the rules of the House of Representatives and detrimental to the functioning of the committee.

  • How does the speaker describe the current state of the House of Representatives?

    -The speaker describes the current state of the House of Representatives as chaotic, unproductive, and resembling a circus, with members focusing on personal attacks rather than substantive policy discussions.

  • What is the role of leadership in the dysfunction observed in the committee meeting?

    -Leadership, as represented by the chairman in this case, plays a crucial role in the dysfunction observed. The chairman's inability to control the proceedings and maintain order contributes to the chaos and unprofessional behavior of the committee members.

  • What is the impact of the current political culture on the functioning of Congress?

    -The current political culture, which does not allow for middle-out coalitions or compromise, has led to a Congress that is remarkably unproductive and unable to address pressing issues facing Americans.

  • What does the speaker suggest about the career paths of members of Congress?

    -The speaker suggests that there used to be a career path in Congress where members would work diligently, build reputations, and pass laws. However, the current culture has shifted towards seeking celebrity and personal attention rather than focusing on legislative work.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Heated Exchange in Committee Meeting

The first paragraph depicts a chaotic committee meeting where members are arguing and interrupting each other. The discussion involves personal attacks, such as comments on someone's appearance, and accusations of misconduct. There are attempts to restore order, with references to points of order and motions to strike words from the record. The chairman tries to maintain control, but the meeting is marked by disorder and a lack of decorum, highlighting a breakdown in the committee's proceedings.

05:03

😤 Dysfunction and Personal Attacks in Congress

The second paragraph discusses the broader implications of the disarray witnessed in the committee meeting. It points out the unprofessional behavior and personal attacks among members, which detract from the substantive issues that should be the focus of their work. The speaker laments the current state of the House of Representatives, noting the lack of productivity and the circus-like atmosphere. The paragraph also touches on the role of leadership and the impact of a lack of compromise, suggesting that the current political climate discourages cooperation and fosters division.

10:03

🏛️ The Erosion of Bipartisan Cooperation

The third paragraph delves into the historical context of congressional operations, contrasting the past with the present. It describes a time when a Democratic speaker could build a working majority by including members from both parties, fostering a more cooperative environment. The paragraph suggests that the current political culture no longer supports this middle-out approach, leading to a more polarized and less effective legislative body.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Committee

A committee is a group of individuals delegated to perform a specific function within an organization, often legislative in nature. In the context of the video, the committee is where members are discussing and debating issues, indicating a legislative setting. The script mentions 'this committee' and the conduct within it, suggesting a formal body where members are expected to follow certain protocols and decorum.

💡Democrats

The term 'Democrats' refers to members of the Democratic Party in the United States, one of the two major political parties. The script mentions 'Democrats on this committee,' indicating that the discussion involves political affiliations and the partisan nature of the committee's proceedings.

💡Conduct

Conduct refers to the way a person behaves or operates, particularly in terms of moral and social standards. In the script, the term is used in the context of questioning the behavior of committee members, especially in relation to raising money and the potential referral to the Ethics Committee, highlighting issues of integrity and appropriateness in their actions.

💡Point of Order

A 'point of order' is a procedural move used in legislative assemblies to address a perceived breach of the rules or to seek clarification on a matter of procedure. The script includes several instances where members state 'point of order' or 'I have a point of order,' indicating attempts to correct or question the proceedings based on parliamentary rules.

💡Parliamentarian

A parliamentarian is an expert in legislative procedure, often advising on the rules and customs of a legislative body. In the script, the parliamentarian is asked for guidance on the conduct during the hearing, showing their role in maintaining order and ensuring adherence to parliamentary rules.

💡Ethics Committee

The Ethics Committee is a body within a legislative assembly that oversees matters of conduct and ethics among its members. The script mentions raising money 'in connection with this hearing' and refers it to the Ethics Committee, suggesting concerns about potential ethical violations.

💡Personalities

In the context of the video, 'personalities' refers to personal characteristics or traits, particularly when used in an ad hominem manner. The script discusses engaging in 'personalities against another member,' indicating personal attacks or insults directed at an individual's appearance or character rather than their arguments or positions.

💡Ad Hominem

Ad hominem is a Latin term meaning 'against the man' and refers to a type of argument that attacks the person rather than their argument or position. The script mentions 'ad hominem insults' and the inappropriateness of such behavior in the committee, illustrating a breach of decorum where personal attacks are made instead of focusing on policy or issues.

💡Unanimous Consent

Unanimous consent in a legislative setting means that all members of a group agree to a particular action without objection. The script includes a request for unanimous consent to 'strike her words,' which refers to removing a member's spoken remarks from the official record, highlighting a procedural move to retract statements that may have violated rules or norms.

💡Productivity

Productivity refers to the efficiency and effectiveness with which work is done, often measured by the output of goods and services. In the context of the video, the lack of productivity is attributed to the unproductive behavior of Congress, with the script noting the 'remarkably unproductive' nature of the legislative body and the failure to pass laws addressing various issues facing Americans.

💡Compromise

Compromise is the process of reaching an agreement by mutual concessions, often necessary in a legislative setting to pass laws and make decisions. The script discusses the unwillingness of voters and lawmakers to compromise, suggesting a cultural shift away from collaborative problem-solving towards more adversarial and oppositional stances.

💡Majority

A majority refers to more than half of a total number, often used in the context of voting or decision-making within a group. The script mentions the lack of a working majority in the House of Representatives, indicating a political environment where no single party or coalition has enough votes to consistently pass legislation, contributing to legislative gridlock.

💡Speaker

The Speaker is the presiding officer in a legislative assembly, responsible for maintaining order and managing the proceedings. In the script, the Speaker is mentioned in the context of building a working majority, highlighting the role of the Speaker in facilitating legislative action and consensus.

Highlights

A heated exchange occurs between committee members, with personal attacks and name-calling.

Rep. Greene is accused of making inappropriate comments about another member's appearance.

A motion is made to strike Rep. Greene's words from the record, which she agrees to.

Rep. Raskin objects, calling for an apology from Rep. Greene for her personal attack.

Rep. Greene refuses to apologize, saying she will never apologize for her words.

The committee devolves into chaos, with members yelling and talking over each other.

The chairman struggles to maintain order, citing his difficulty hearing due to deafness.

Rep. Lynch raises a point of order, questioning the chairman's conduct in connection with the hearing.

The committee discusses the appropriateness of personal attacks and the need for decorum.

The lack of productivity in Congress is lamented, with members prioritizing personal attacks over policy debates.

The current political culture is criticized for not allowing for compromise and bipartisan coalitions.

The rise of celebrity and social media influence in politics is discussed, with concerns about its impact on the legislative process.

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez is commended for her knowledge of committee rules and her preparedness during hearings.

The importance of compromise in achieving legislative results is emphasized, but it is noted that voters often oppose compromise.

The decline in the reputation of Congress and the rise of a "clown show" are lamented.

Concerns are raised about the unprofessional behavior of elected officials and its impact on the public's perception of Congress.

The lack of action on key issues facing Americans, such as healthcare and climate change, is criticized.

The need for leadership to restore order and focus on policy debates rather than personal attacks is emphasized.

Transcripts

00:00

as any other members seek recognition.

00:01

I'd say it recognizes Mr. Green.

00:04

I'd like to know

00:04

if any of the Democrats on this committee

00:06

are employing judge Martians.

00:09

Daughter.

00:12

Oh, please

00:13

tell me what that has to do

00:14

with Merrick Garland.

00:16

Is she a porn star?

00:17

Oh, Goldman. That's right.

00:19

He's advising. Okay.

00:22

There was an.

00:27

Do you.

00:27

Do you know we're here for.

00:29

You know we're here.

00:30

I want you know what you're here for.

00:32

Well, you don't want to talk about.

00:34

I think your fake eyelashes

00:36

are messing up.

00:37

Ain't nothing out of this

00:39

order, Mr.

00:40

Chairman.

00:41

Beneath even more,

00:42

you gave the order of your committee.

00:44

Order, please.

00:46

This is a point of order.

00:47

We have a point of order.

00:49

Mr. Lynch, state your point.

00:51

Mr.

00:51

Chairman,

00:51

I would just like to

00:52

ask the parliamentarian

00:54

if your conduct here in raising money

00:56

in connection with this hearing

00:59

is referable to the Ethics Committee.

01:01

Within this hearing

01:02

is a motion in order to refer

01:04

your conduct

01:06

and your abuse of.

01:07

It's not a point of order.

01:09

I do have a point of order

01:10

and I would like to move to

01:11

to take down Ms..

01:12

Greene's words.

01:14

That is absolutely unacceptable.

01:16

How dare you

01:18

suspend meetings of another person?

01:20

Are your feelings her words down?

01:23

Oh. Oh, girl. Baby girl.

01:25

Oh, really?

01:26

Don't even play, baby girl.

01:29

I don't.

01:29

We are going to move

01:30

and we're going to take your words down.

01:31

I second that motion.

01:33

Mr.

01:33

Green, do you wish to strike your words?

01:38

I have 4 minutes and 21 seconds to speak.

01:41

I think we have to do the motion first.

01:43

And then unless there's another motion,

01:47

then.

01:47

Then you'll be recognized again.

01:49

But I believe there's

01:49

another motion coming.

01:51

So you agree to strike your words?

01:53

Yeah. Okay.

01:54

Ms.. Green agrees to strike her words.

01:56

I believe.

01:58

I don't know.

01:58

Okay, hold on.

01:59

Then after Mr.

02:00

Page, you'll be recognized.

02:02

I'm not apologizing.

02:04

Okay. Reserve the right to your way.

02:05

I am not apologizing.

02:08

Let's go. Come on, guys.

02:10

Why don't you debate me?

02:12

Mr. Chairman.

02:14

The minority seldom ever.

02:16

You're not. Yeah, you're not.

02:17

You don't have enough

02:18

intelligent recognizes, Mr.

02:20

Perry. Okay.

02:21

Move to strike. Move!

02:24

Move!

02:24

This morning, ladies words again.

02:26

Ms..

02:26

GREENE, do you ask unanimous consent?

02:29

Do you agree to unanimous consent

02:30

to strike your words?

02:32

I repeat again for the second time.

02:34

Yes.

02:35

I'll use my words,

02:35

but I'm not apologizing

02:37

without objection,

02:37

So Miss Green asked unanimous consent

02:41

to strike her words.

02:42

Mr. Raskin objected.

02:44

I'm going to recognize Mr.

02:45

Raskin for his objection.

02:48

We're not counting against.

02:49

Mr.

02:49

Green has 4 minutes and 21 seconds left.

02:52

This will not count against your time.

02:53

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

02:54

I reserve the right to object

02:55

because the understanding of the minority

02:56

is that the general lady from Georgia

02:58

would move to take her words down

03:01

and strike her words, and to offer

03:02

sincere apology

03:04

for having engaged

03:04

in personalities against another member,

03:06

offending her personal appearance

03:08

and insulting her.

03:09

We don't do that in this committee.

03:11

And I think the major problem was that

03:12

we allowed pornography in this committee

03:14

and we've gone down a bad road.

03:15

But in any event,

03:16

we should not allow face to face

03:18

ad hominem insults.

03:19

It's totally contrary to the rules

03:21

of the House of Representatives.

03:22

And I would ask Ms..

03:23

GREENE

03:24

if she would just make the apology.

03:26

It's not that complicated.

03:27

We don't want to get into face

03:28

to face insults.

03:30

You will never get an apology out of me.

03:32

And

03:34

then I object.

03:34

Then I object. The Raskin's objects.

03:37

you know,

03:37

I think we don't want to see

03:38

a complete dissent

03:40

of our committee and the verbatim quote,

03:44

the verbatim

03:45

quote of the general lady was,

03:47

I think your fake eyelashes

03:48

were messing up your reading.

03:50

That is what she said.

03:51

I think you're fake.

03:52

And that that's obviously

03:54

engaging in personalities.

03:55

It's an ad hominem attack.

03:56

And I would just ask

03:57

every member

03:57

of this committee

03:59

in a fair minded way,

04:00

would you want to be talked to

04:02

in that way

04:03

about your personal appearance

04:04

by another member of the committee?

04:05

Because what we're doing

04:06

is we're setting standards going forward.

04:08

I'm just curious,

04:09

just to better understand your ruling.

04:11

If someone on this committee

04:12

then starts talking about somebodies

04:15

beliefs, blond, bad built, butch body

04:18

that would not be engaging

04:19

in personalities. Correct? What now?

04:23

Chairman?

04:24

I make

04:25

I make a motion to strike those words.

04:27

I don't think that's one part of it.

04:28

I find clarification on what quorum is.

04:33

You just said we're not going to

04:34

we're not going to do this

04:35

like you guys earlier.

04:37

Literally, you just voted to do it.

04:40

A person.

04:40

You voted you in order.

04:43

I'm trying to get clarification.

04:44

Look at calm down.

04:46

Calm down.

04:46

No, no, no, because this is what you do.

04:48

Proceed. I'm sorry.

04:50

You're not recognize Mr..

04:52

I hear you with your yelling.

04:53

Oh, right on down.

04:54

No, please don't tell me to calm down

04:56

because y'all have gone down in there.

04:58

You're out of control telling me

05:02

if I don't have a chairman.

05:04

Mr. Chairman.

05:07

Who wants to?

05:08

Who wants to take a crack at this?

05:09

I mean, these people are elected.

05:12

But this is good for the whole thing

05:13

we're talking about all day today.

05:14

But where where, how far have we come?

05:16

And like, why is this?

05:17

Why are these people even

05:17

except what this is like,

05:18

mean it's disgusting that

05:19

this is how they're behaving

05:20

and why are they attacking

05:21

each other personally?

05:22

They have enough to attack

05:23

each other on their views.

05:24

They don't need to attack each other

05:25

on their eyelashes and their hair. Here.

05:27

What's depressing about this is that it's

05:29

not that unusual

05:30

for the house these days.

05:31

I mean,

05:31

whether it was Kevin McCarthy's

05:33

many rounds to get elected

05:35

speaker, people

05:36

getting in each other's faces,

05:37

I mean, they almost

05:38

started hating each other during that.

05:40

And so it's not just these three women.

05:42

I've watched the men behave.

05:44

I'm calling each other names.

05:46

The house is in absolute chaos.

05:49

And we have been electing

05:51

a lot of clowns in this country.

05:52

And we are getting a circus.

05:54

I'm sure that it

05:55

has always been true there.

05:56

How clowns in the House

05:57

of Representatives.

05:58

There also used to be a career path

06:00

where you put your head down.

06:02

You did the work,

06:03

your mask, maxims in your head,

06:04

you built a staff,

06:05

you built a reputation,

06:05

you built partnerships,

06:06

and you passed laws,

06:07

which is what you were there to do.

06:09

And this is the

06:11

the comic and eye catching

06:13

side of

06:14

of the problem

06:14

with the Congress of the past few years,

06:16

which is they're remarkably unproductive.

06:18

And, you know,

06:19

when you think about problems

06:20

that Americans have from

06:21

the cost of nursing home

06:22

care to how to get health

06:24

insurance, to climate change, to

06:26

are the taxes too high

06:28

to the debates as we have

06:29

this all party consensus

06:31

that is building in favor

06:31

of more protectionism

06:32

and trying to enrich ourselves

06:33

by keeping out foreign goods,

06:35

that these are things

06:36

that you would think

06:36

that the House of Representatives

06:38

should be having a voice on.

06:39

But laws don't get passed.

06:41

This stuff happens

06:42

and so this

06:43

you can see and it gives you an

06:44

I mean,

06:45

it's important as a clue

06:46

to all the things that you don't see

06:47

because they are not happening.

06:49

One thing about this, too,

06:49

is that it does come down to leadership.

06:52

I mean, James Comer,

06:52

this was his committee

06:54

that devolved into this back and forth.

06:55

Here was how he tried to explain

06:58

what happened.

07:00

I don't know if you notice the

07:01

I have two hearing aids.

07:03

I'm very deaf.

07:05

I'm not understanding.

07:06

Everybody's yelling.

07:07

I'm doing the best I can.

07:09

Can we not recognize Miss GREENE

07:11

and we not because of the rules

07:13

of the committee, Mr. Chair,

07:15

I sort of wonder how he didn't hear

07:18

this piece of it, which

07:21

we're not going to

07:22

we're not going to do this.

07:23

Look, you guys earlier literally just

07:26

voted to do the first thing you voted to

07:29

in order

07:30

not trying to get clarification

07:32

and yelling, oh, why on down?

07:34

Please don't tell me to calm down,

07:36

because y'all have gone down in there.

07:38

You're out of control.

07:40

Back

07:42

with them.

07:45

Meghan

07:46

I mean, it's like a circus.

07:48

Like a circus that people are screaming.

07:50

I mean, I guess

07:51

Comer couldn't blame his wife

07:52

because he didn't think of that

07:53

excuse fast enough to solve this problem.

07:55

That seems to be

07:55

what are blame people for.

07:57

I just don't understand how this is like

07:58

acceptable behavior

07:59

from our lawmakers

08:00

who need to be passing laws.

08:01

People actually

08:02

have issues in this country

08:03

and we need to have actual laws.

08:05

You know,

08:05

one of

08:05

these is an interesting about voters

08:07

are we ask about Congress a lot

08:09

and it's funny,

08:10

they very much want results,

08:12

but they do not want compromise.

08:14

And voters in this country

08:16

seem to have lost the plot,

08:17

that it requires

08:18

compromise to get results,

08:20

which is, I think, where you now

08:21

see people reaching

08:22

for sort of the strongman

08:24

authoritarian types,

08:25

because they have forgotten

08:26

that actually the way

08:27

this body is supposed to function

08:29

is by doing the hard work,

08:31

putting their heads

08:31

down, reaching a compromise

08:32

that makes everybody

08:33

a little bit unhappy

08:34

and a little bit happy.

08:35

And ultimately you get something done

08:36

for the American people.

08:37

And so people want things done.

08:39

They don't want them to compromise.

08:40

They want them to be in opposition

08:41

like that.

08:42

And that's why

08:42

we have all this dysfunction.

08:43

Yeah, well, I mean,

08:44

and to what you were saying, David, to

08:46

when celebrity seems to be the goal

08:49

of coming to Congress,

08:51

you end up in situations like this. Well,

08:54

I'll tell you, because

08:55

it has

08:55

a sort of an example of this,

08:56

because, look,

08:57

Marjorie Taylor GREENE has no choice

08:58

but to be Marjorie Taylor.

08:59

GREENE That's just

09:00

there's no

09:01

upper floor of the building there.

09:03

But Ocasio-Cortez

09:04

has potential to go

09:05

in a number of different ways

09:06

in her career

09:07

and that the incentives are pulling her

09:09

toward the Instagram influencer.

09:11

The viral moment,

09:13

the no, the no big bills path.

09:16

I will say she

09:17

Ocasio-Cortez is not always like this

09:19

in committee hearings,

09:20

but she was jumping in defending someone,

09:21

and she actually was the one

09:23

who knew the rules of the committee

09:24

was using them to her.

09:25

And she's usually very prepared

09:27

for these hearings.

09:27

But I think continue. Okay.

09:29

So she actually has a path.

09:30

I mean, I think

09:31

we're also coping with this is

09:32

this is a Congress

09:33

that doesn't have a majority

09:34

in the House of Representatives. And

09:37

the inhibitions, what might happen

09:39

under a different political culture

09:41

is this

09:41

The speaker would put together

09:43

a working majority.

09:44

You know,

09:44

half of the his party,

09:45

a third of the other party,

09:46

and build a majority from the center out.

09:49

But that is completely prohibited

09:51

by the culture of the modern House

09:52

of Representatives.

09:53

That's how action

09:53

things are often done in the past,

09:55

especially in the fifties and sixties,

09:56

when Partizanship was more blurry,

09:59

you would have these dysfunction

10:00

in coalition

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of the center of moderate Democrat,

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usually with a Democratic speaker

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in those days,

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always with the Democratic speaker.

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But putting some

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of the Democratic members

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out to the margins,

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putting many of the Republican members

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out to the margins.

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But our political culture

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doesn't allow that middle out

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