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US Representatives Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene want Congress to 'free Britney.'
By Alice Kelly — Written on Jul 06, 2021
U.S. Representatives Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Green, Burgess Owens and Andy Biggs — all Republicans — have co-signed a letter addressed to Britney Spears, inviting the pop star to testify before Congress.
In March, Gaetz (R-FL) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) requested that the House Judiciary Committee hold a hearing on conservatorships after being inspired by Spears’s ongoing court battle to alter the terms of her 13-year guardianship.
Now, the controversial Florida Rep is enlisting the help of additional GOP members in the hope that the singer will agree to their request that she share her story in a public congressional testimony.
Where did Republican interest in Spears’s case come from and what power does it have in the #FreeBritney movement?
Why do Republicans want to #FreeBritney?
In the letter dated June 30, 2021, the four GOP representatives urge Spears to come before Congress so the federal body can help her and others the American legal system has failed to protect from what the letter refers to as "obvious financial, emotional and psychological abuse at the hands of ... conservators."
"You have been mistreated by America’s legal system. We want to help," the letter states. "What happened to you should never happen to any other American. Congress can make things better and you can inform our policy decisions."
The interest in a woman’s wellbeing and protection seems like an unlikely concern for Gaetz, who is currently under investigation for sex trafficking minors, and for a political party who have a history of talking badly about Spears.
Republicans have a history of mocking Britney Spears.
In the past, Republicans have targeted female celebrities, including Spears, in a critical and demeaning manner.
In 2008, John McCain ran an advertisement for his presidential campaign in which he compared Barak Obama to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, saying that while Obama may be "the biggest celebrity in the world," that status didn't make his rival "ready to lead."
The year prior, Rep. Kevin Brady mocked the singer on the House floor in the midst of her custody battle and ensuing mental health crisis.
"Being lectured on fiscal irresponsibility by this Democratic Congress is like being lectured on parenting by Britney Spears; it makes no sense at all,” he said.
Though time has passed and opinions change, it seems difficult to explain this change of tone from members of the GOP.
Britney Spears could generate good press for Republicans.
Cynical as it might be, it’s difficult to commend the efforts being made by Gaetz and the others in the #FreeBritney movement without acknowledging the immeasurable publicity he may expect to receive for his participation.
In the letter, they urge Spears: “Please take advantage of the empowerment that public congressional testimony can unlock.”
Gaetz, at least, may be speaking to himself as much as he is addressing the Spears.
In the face of child trafficking allegations, Gaetz appears to be making an attempt to rewrite his narrative in the media by inserting himself into stories about one of the most beloved pop stars of a generation.
Likewise, his Republican associates have taken a page straight out of a book authored by Donald Trump by stirring up sensationalized press coverage to distract from what many see as their political failings.
Trump made headlines for granting clemency to Kodak Black and Lil Wayne, but did little to solve problems related to mass incarceration in the US.
Republican involvement in the #FreeBritney movement appears to be an exercise in smoke and mirrors meant to deflect from their lack of political power.
#FreeBritney has become a bipartisan issue.
That said, Spears’s plight might be uniquely unifying for liberals and conservatives who have expressed outrage at her situation.
Liberal women’s health organization Planned Parenthood also joined the movement after Spears alleged that she has been forbidden from removing her IUD by the conservatorship.
Meanwhile, Democratic politicians have spoken out against the patriarchal control Spears’s conservatorship represents to many.
The singer’s court battle has given rise to conversations around reproductive health, women’s rights and misogyny — issues that are not typically associated with Republican interests.
If the opposing sides can agree that the control exerted over Spears is wrong, it perhaps opens up a productive conversation as to why.
Bipartisan acknowledgment of the dangers of exploiting vulnerable women and denying people autonomy and basic human rights may go a long way.
Alice Kelly is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York. Catch her covering all things social justice, news, and entertainment. Keep up with her Twitter for more.