Democratic Rep. Luis Gutiérrez blasted NBC for its lack of diversity and visibility of people of color during a floor speech in the House of Representatives Wednesday morning.

#NBCsoWhite

While standing alongside a poster board with the hashtag "#NBCsoWhite" written below the NBC logo, Gutiérrez ripped the television network for recently cancelling a show hosted by Melissa Harris-Perry, an esteemed African-American professor who had a public falling out with the network after her show was preempted for 2016 election coverage.

"Last week, Wake Forest University professor and MSNBC television host Melissa Harris-Perry was abruptly pulled from the airwaves without even a chance to say good bye," said the congressman, adding that she "brought diverse voices to the table to talk directly and unapologetically about the politics of race in America."

The Illinois representative also noted that NBC cut a program hosted by Alex Wagner, a Burmese-American political commentator, last summer. Wagner was then promised a new weekend slot, which was also dropped, CNNMoney reports. According to Gutiérrez, the cancellation of these shows were not isolated cases. Instead, they indicate a larger issue of racial diversity at the station.

Gutiérrez also noted that the presence of José Diaz-Balart, a Cuban-American journalist who used to anchor a weekday-morning show on MSNBC, has been diminished in recent weeks.

"Jose had a two-hour show on MSNBC and did a very good job," said Gutiérrez, who co-chairs the Immigration Task Force of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

"But Jose is a lot harder to find these days. They cut him back and now it seems they are cutting him out. For example, MSNBC announced they were sending a team of reporters to Florida to report on the primary next Tuesday. But not Jose. One of the most respected and recognized journalists in America who happens to be from Miami and a Florida political dynasty - apparently he is not the right guy to report on politics in Florida," he said.

Trump's SNL Hosting Gig

At another point during his speech, Gutiérrez called the network out for inviting Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to host their flagship comedy show, "Saturday Night Live," late last year. According to Gutiérrez, -- and other Latino advocacy groups that protested Trump's hosting gig -- the GOP front-runner should not have been allowed to host "SNL" due to his hateful speech against Mexicans and Latinos.

MSNBC's Makeover Backlash

In addition to Gutiérrez, a number of critics have spoken out against MSNBC since it began cutting programs featuring people of color last summer in order to boost ratings. An anonymous employee also admitted to The Washington Post that people are feeling frustrated by the changes at NBC.

"When you look at the number of people of color who have disappeared, it definitely gets your attention," said the source.

Watch Rep. Gutiérrez's speech below.

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