Weiner: GOP Is 'Wholly Owned Subsidiary Of The Insurance Industry'

The Republican Party is "a wholly owned subsidiary of the insurance industry," Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) charged on the House floor. When Republican Rep. Dan Lungren (Calif.) objected to the accusation and took the extraordinary step of asking that Weiner's "words be taken down," Weiner pushed back.

"You really don't want to go here, Mr. Lungren," Weiner said. Asking that words be taken down is a move on the House floor that is rarely made and carries great weight.

Weiner, after a pause, asked to have his words withdrawn and said he'd substitute new ones. "Make no mistake about it. Every single Republican I have ever met in my entire life is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the insurance industry," Weiner clarified.

Somehow, that failed to satisfy Lungren, who asked that those too be taken down. After a long pause, before the chair ruled, Lungren withdrew his request.

The House was debating a bill to repeal the insurance industry's exemption from antitrust laws, which passed overwhelmingly. Nineteen Republicans opposed it, including House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio). Lungren supported it.

WATCH:

H/t Think Progress

Comments

[Mimi Parker]

02:57 PM on 02/26/2010

Anthony Weiner is my hero.

I keep watching the video over & over.

An inspiration to all of us who have long since been disgusted by the sell out of the American people to the highest bidder.

Hit it right on the nose...hit again my man, you rock.

[moeg]

01:22 PM on 02/26/2010

Weiner-Grayson 2016

[Justin Gibson]

10:35 PM on 02/25/2010

A guy with a HUGE backbone and tells it like it is. Go Weiner!

[VikingQuest]

09:24 PM on 02/25/2010

Health Services/HMOs
2010 Cycle - 67% to Dems, 32% to Repubs
2008 Cycle - 60% to Dems, 40% to Repubs

[reepiceep]

06:09 PM on 02/25/2010

Anthony Weiner is my hero. We need a hundred more just like him!

[pjean]

04:54 PM on 02/25/2010

watching that gave me goose bumps. I love Anthony Weiner. He speaks the truth!!!!!!! RethugliKKKans CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!!!!!!!

[GeorgeP922]

04:54 PM on 02/25/2010

Weiner for VP 2012, then President 2016.

You get em! Punch them in the mouth for us!

[dax49]

04:11 PM on 02/25/2010

Fox will crucify weiner from now on!

[Bill Floyd zzz]

03:49 PM on 02/25/2010

I hope Weiner runs for president someday. I also he has alot more on his mind and he tells the repubs what it is.

[OKSunny]

02:47 PM on 02/25/2010

tell Weiner how you feel

http://weiner.house.gov/email_anthony.aspx

[OKSunny]

02:46 PM on 02/25/2010

who cares if his "words are taken down" what does that even mean and how is it different than us seeing it on TV?

GO WEINER--you are my new hero! Repubs are awful!

[grizhead63]

02:45 PM on 02/25/2010

A true hero!

[BPCentrisAmerican]

02:43 PM on 02/25/2010

Anthony Wiener is dead on, my own Republican Rep's contribution list is a who' who of big pharma and insurance's donors and PACK's. I read a statistic that more than 80% of Republican have been bought out by the insurance industry. The said part is some tea-bagger from West Virginia I was listening to on Washington Journal railing against a woman representing Think Progress yesterday. The caller was going on about socialism and Obama is taking away her freedom, the usual tea-bagger bullcit. The tea-bagger was defending Wellpoint's 39% rate increase in California, when asked by the host, how much her insurance was, she answered, she couldn't afford insurance, mind numbing. In words of Alan Grayson, freedom to Republicans means "die, or die faster", "Freedom to die, or die faster" Great bumper sticker.

[Anthony Sturgeon]

02:39 PM on 02/25/2010

I don't think there's ever been a time in history where the GOP have been more exposed for who they really are,,,, and who they truly represent than this congress...

If the American ppl can't see these conservative politicians for who they really are with just this dis-ingenuous notion that ppl don't like the HC reform bill because of something that matches up with their Industry favored agenda,,, well,, they're blinded by the spinning in their heads..

I believe if the dems go ahead with reconciliation they're election worries will end and republicans know it,,,,,,,,,, as that is what's driving the disappointment among voters,,, the amount the dems have conceded to those Industry execs the conservatives are representing...

The argument against the mandate is cured with a public option,, or a buy in to medicare as most folks don't like having to carry private Insurance that strengthens the monopoly those corporations already have on each and everyone of us..

[liberalOrgonian]

02:09 PM on 02/25/2010

This is what a leader looks like.
Anthony is the people's hero.
He has the guts to call out the repubs for what they are.