Despite Outrage, Many House Republicans Have Said Dem Health Care Will Kill People

Congressional Republicans are expressing outrage over freshman Rep. Alan Grayson's suggestion on the House floor Tuesday night that the GOP health care plan amounts to little more than "don't get sick" -- and if you do, "die quickly."

Republicans have called for an apology from the Florida Democrat, and have compared Grayson's remark to Rep. Joe Wilson's (R-S.C.) "You lie!" outburst.

But there's a big difference between the two floor statements. One was unprecedented -- the president had never been called a liar by a member of Congress during an address in all of American history.

By contrast, charges that the opposition's health care plan will kill people have been about as common on the House floor lately as resolutions naming post offices.

Take Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-Fla.), who said in July: "Last week, Democrats released a health care bill which essentially said to America's seniors: drop dead."

Or Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.), a doctor, who reviewed the public health insurance option in July and diagnosed that it is "gonna kill people."

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), not one to pull punches, suggested on the House floor that Congress "make sure we bring down the cost of health care for all Americans and that ensures affordable access for all Americans and is pro-life because it will not put seniors in a position of being put to death by their government."

July was a busy time for House floor death sentences. Also that month, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), noted: "One in five people have to die because they went to socialized medicine...I would hate to think that among five women, one of 'em is gonna die because we go to socialized care."

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) had a similar assessment. "They're going to save money by rationing care, getting you in a long line. Places like Canada, United Kingdom, and Europe. People die when they're in line," he said on the House floor in July.

So far, none of the members of Congress who made such charges have apologized.

Get HuffPost Politics On Facebook and Twitter!

Comments

[AntiMarxist]

Its about time the socialists were exposed. Their march for control will indeed kill people.

Remember, the government cannot give anything to anyone that they have not first forcibly taken away from someone else.

[cacimar]

"African American males die sooner than other males do, which means the system is inherently unfair to a certain group of people, and that needs to be fixed."
President George W Bush on why Blacks should support putting retirement in private market accounts.

He never did talk about fixing the longevity of Blacks.

[Veneita]

If you live in the district of one of the Rs who has said outrageous things about Democrats. Please copy down their words and mail them to your local newspaper.

[fedupinfla]

FINALLY!!!
Someone we Floridians can be proud of!!!

[drewtom]

Finally a Democrat with a spine. We need more people willing to call out these Repugnicans for evil, hate mongers they are. They offer no ideas other than "just say no". F-them, and bulls--t family values.
They are quick to support bombing innocent people but can't support a bill that brings healthcare to our own people.

[fya]

Alan Grayson = HERO! At least one Dem in Congress has a spine.

[TRex86]

Republican self-righteous outrage is just another pose. It amuses their base and gets some air time on media other than Faux News. They know full well that they say far worse things than Grayson daily in the hallowed halls of Congress: they lie; they cheat; they deceive. It's all in the curriculum of their propaganda training, in this case intended to sustain the media's craven commitment to false equivalencies. They're just making a mark on their scorecard.
Democrats like nuance, logic, and fairness. (Note how KO and Rachel both took Grayson to task last night for his inappropriate reference to the Holocaust). Republicans go for the big lie. It's all about winning at any price. Democrats get lost in the syntax, trying to find a narrative in intentional nonsense. Here's a suggestion: continue to torment them as Grayson did. When they counter-attack, call them out on their lies and duplicitousness (using a smaller word). With their dwindling base they have fallen back to their last redoubt. Crush them and make way for a real conservative party to emerge from their ashes.

[JustFrogs]

Hi all! I just posted this on one of the other Grayson threads, but wanted to post it here also (so forgive my repetition):

So, after watching the CNN video, I decided to write in to CNN with a "story idea" about a follow-up to the Grayson interview and here is what I said:

Since Wolf Blizter and the others grilled Grayson for his remarks, I think it is time (way overdue) that you grill Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-Fla.), Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.), Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C), Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) and Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), for their statements that, for example, “Last week, Democrats released a health care bill which essentially said to America's seniors: drop dead," "(its) gonna kill people," “(it will) put seniors in a position of being put to death by their government," “Obama is the enemy of humanity,” and let’s not forget about Cantor who told a woman to “look for charity” to pay for her treatment. Some of these statements were made in the same forum as Grayson. Thank you.

(you can send CNN a story idea in the "Contact Us" section at the bottom of their main page)

[jeremyfive]

Republicans are sleaze-buckets.

Look how they send out the #1 BEST KNOWN PROSTITUTE'S "JOHN" IN AMERICA, DAVID VITTER to investigate and charge alleged prostitution advise given at Acorn.

Now, David Vitter should know his prostitutes, by God. He has tasted some of the best honies that Louisiana has to offer.

That is one dirty ol' dawg, that David Vitter.

[TerrapinCB]

"I have been thinking that I would make a proposition to my Republican friends ... that if they will stop telling lies about the Democrats, we will stop telling the truth about them."

ADLAI STEVENSON, speech, Sep. 10, 1952

[pittmom]

Actions speak louder than words. The GOP's actions (if you can call doing nothing an action) are the cause for outrage.

[SeattleKurt]

I'm concerned that the Dems are doing a "let them have Grayson" for the liberals to consume while planning to pass weak health insurance reform the wo

[JakeMontero]

you folks jumping on the grayson bandwagon should look into his views on Is real...

[fya]

I don't live in Israel.

[LeftRight]

First, I live in America, not Israel.

Second, while I don't know his views right now, I DO know that the automatic support for Israel that certain members of American society has is COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY WRONG! The fact of the matter is that Israel has screwed the pooch for the last 30 years, and saying that they are the only wronged ones in the gulf area is idiotic!

[dmsdzinr]

Republicans have been using these tactics for YEARS! All of a sudden Alan Grayson turns the tables on the Republicans by using THEIR OWN TACTICS and they certainly don't like it! Well TOO BAD! A taste of your own medicine is JUST what the Doctor ordered. I just wish that more/all Democrats had the spine/fervor that Alan Grayson has! I GUARANTEE that the Republican BULLIES would back down in a heartbeat!

[harriscrl3]

I disagree. If more democrats did what Grayson did then there would truly be NO DIFFERENCE between the parties they would both SCARE people to get what they want. The left would be hypocrites when they start whining about using scare tactics. We need to appeal to people's INTELLIGENCE not their fears thats what makes us different.

[gigihoffman]

People have to HAVE Intelligence in order to appeal to their intelligence. Lying to scare people is dispicable. If you think telling the truth is a scare tactic then we should all just shut up and keep running in circles. Nothing will ever get done.

[JustFrogs]

It was only a "scare tactic" in the sense that it was the truth, which is far from what the republicans have been doing. There is no comparison - he was pointing out their hypocrisy. And he had the facts to back it up.

[LeftRight]

I disagree. The Republicans have been LYING, whereas Grayson is TELLING THE TRUTH.

So the major difference would be that one side is full of LIARS and the other is full of HONEST PEOPLE.

[Joeblue]

He'll be made to apologize by Pelosi.

[fya]

You wish.