A shocking display of contempt for American values has ignited a fierce battle in Congress, as Representative Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) vows to block self-proclaimed socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier from taking her seat if she wins the upcoming November election.
Chevalier, the Democratic nominee from New York, sparked outrage with her casual admission of using the American flag as a napkin. For many, this isn't just a gaffe; it's a deliberate affront to the millions who have served and sacrificed under the stars and stripes.
Burchett confirmed to The Post his intention to make the rare parliamentary move when the new Congress convenes in January. He plans to use a simple majority vote to prevent newly elected lawmakers from being seated before they even take the oath of office.
"You take an oath to uphold the Constitution, and you're pretty much disavowing it right there. I just think we've lost our compass," Burchett stated, his voice reflecting a deep frustration shared by countless patriotic Americans.
The Tennessee Republican's resolve is deeply personal. His father was a World War II Marine, and his paternal uncle served on a Navy destroyer. But it is the memory of his maternal uncle, Roy Hicks, and a cherished family heirloom, that most profoundly connects Burchett to the flag he now fights to defend.
"I'm looking at a 48-star flag that hung on my uncle's casket and [he] died fighting the Nazis, and then see somebody going to get elected to Congress in New York who said they use that flag for a napkin," he explained. "I thought, man, that same dadgum flag hung on my uncle's casket. It's the same flag that men and women fought and died for to free the slaves, and that's what they're using as a napkin."
Hicks was severely wounded shortly after D-Day, battling German forces in the bloody hedgerows near Normandy. Burchett proudly keeps his uncle's Purple Heart and the very flag that draped his coffin in his Knoxville congressional office. This isn't abstract patriotism for Burchett; it's tangible history, a sacred trust.
Chevalier's controversial remark, deleted from a 2019 Twitter post, brazenly stated: "I forgot to get napkins so I just wiped my hand on the American flag behind me." While she later expressed regret, her history reveals a pattern of radical, anti-American sentiment far beyond a single ill-advised tweet.
This is not an isolated incident. Chevalier, who successfully primaried incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat, was a key player in the 2024 campus takeover at Columbia University. She has been associated with an anti-Israel group that once declared its mission was "fighting for the total eradication of Western civilization." Furthermore, she attended an anti-Israel rally the day after the horrific Hamas October 7th attacks and, in a 2020 online post, called the United States a "f---ing disgrace" and President Joe Biden a "war criminal."
Burchett's audacious move highlights the intense partisan clashes set to define the new Congress, where a growing cadre of far-left lawmakers, like Chevalier, are actively attempting to pull the Democratic Party further into radical territory. The Congressman made it clear he will pursue this motion whether Republicans control the House or are in the minority. "I think the Democrat Party needs to ... get some guts, and get their rudder back for the working people," he asserted, challenging his colleagues across the aisle to stand for common decency and respect for American symbols.
While the Constitution grants each House the authority to judge the qualifications of its members, and historical precedents show such battles are uphill, Burchett's effort transcends mere procedure. This is a moral stand against the normalization of radical anti-Americanism in the halls of power. As one GOP operative noted, if Congress refused to seat everyone who said things others disagreed with, the House would be empty. However, equating policy disagreements with the desecration of the national flag, and a stated desire for the "total eradication of Western civilization," reveals a profound disconnect from the values Americans hold dear.
The integrity of Congress, and indeed the nation, hinges on upholding the solemn oath to the Constitution and respecting the symbols that represent the sacrifices made for our freedom. Burchett's fight isn't just about a single seat; it's a powerful declaration that America's foundational principles and its enduring legacy of liberty will not be allowed to be wiped away like a spilled drink at the hands of those who disdain them.
