The Hill News

The co-chairmen of the Congressional Progressive Caucus called comments made by Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) reminiscent of McCarthyism. 

West said Tuesday he heard a rumor that about 80 Democratic members of Congress were in the Communist Party. West declined to give names.

Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) compared West's comment to Sen. Joe McCarthy (R-Wis.) who in 1950 said he had a list of communists in government.

"Calling fellow Members of Congress ‘communists’ is reminiscent of the days when Joe McCarthy divided Americans with name-calling and modern-day witch hunts that don’t advance policies to benefit people’s lives," the co-chairs wrote in the statement on Wednesday. 

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