Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., told Newsmax on Tuesday the House Judiciary Committee's field hearing in New York City on Monday was a success and the committee should do similar hearings in other big cities affected by failed liberal policies to fight crime.
So-called field hearings are conducted locally.
The field hearing put a spotlight on the rampant increase of crime under Democrat Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who fulfilled a campaign promise by bringing criminal charges against former President Donald Trump. A grand jury empaneled by Bragg indicted Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business documents in the first degree. Trump pleaded not guilty April 4 to all charges.
"We felt strongly that not only should the committee maybe do this in New York, but I think extend that to some other cities where we've seen a significant spike in crime," Fitzgerald, a member of the committee, told "American Agenda."
"I thought the Republicans did a nice job of highlighting exactly what the issues are in New York City. Unfortunately, Democrats [on the committee] focused more on former President Trump and continue to undermine a serious discussion."
Fitzgerald also said he was disappointed in how some of the committee's witnesses were treated by committee Democrats. Many witnesses, such as Madeline Brame, chair of the Victims Rights Reform Council and mother of a homicide victim, have been affected by the wave of crime under Bragg.
"They were not serious when it came to some of the Republican witnesses, individuals invited by the Judiciary Committee to talk about their individual circumstances, and some of them lost loved ones," Fitzgerald said of committee Democrats. "Others were victims themselves, and others were involved in law enforcement that had worked there for many years and watched the city of New York shift back to a place where people worry about their safety on a daily basis."
Fitzgerald also was asked about reports that Speaker Kevin McCarthy has the necessary votes to pass legislation raising the nation's debt ceiling.
"We had a conference this morning with the speaker in which he continued to work with members and getting them comfortable with a package that makes sense that could pass through the House and kind of move the ball over to the president's court, as well as the U.S. Senate," Fitzgerald said. "I think members are being very thoughtful, very thorough in the discussions as to what they're looking for, what they're hoping for, and then a timeline on how far out you want to go with this response to the debt limit issue.
"I feel good about where we're at, but we're also deferring to the speaker. This is kind of his show right now, and he needs to have in some instances the kind of one-on-one time with members to get everybody to a good place."
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