Congress woman shaming Repugs on the floor

[gabeana]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/democratic-congresswoman-uses-steak-vodka-and-caviar-to-hamm

“In my district, California 14, we have about 4,000 families who are on food stamps, but some of my colleagues have thousands and thousands more,” Rep. Speier said. “Yet, they somehow feel like crusaders, like heroes when they vote to cut food stamps. Some of these same members travel to foreign countries under the guise of official business. They dine at lavish restaurants, eating steak, vodka and even caviar. They receive money to do this. That’s right, they don’t pay out of pocket for these meals.”

Another member was given $3,588 for food and lodging during a six-day trip to Russia. He probably drank a fair amount of vodka and probably even had some caviar. That particular member has 21,000 food stamp recipients in his district. One of those people who is on food stamps could live a year on what this congressman spent on food and lodging for six days,” she added.

[IdaBriggs]

1. Go, sister! nt

[JustAnotherGen]

2. Steve King

Was the member who took the trip to Russia. . . let's let that sink in folks. He's a greedy s.o.b.

[sheshe2]

3. Go Jackie Speier!

[BlueToTheBone]

5. Jackie Speier is a true hero.

She has been standing up for people for decades.

[avaistheone1]

9. I think so too.

[Cooley Hurd]

14. She's had a helluva life!

She was Congressman Leo Ryan's aide during the ill-fated trip to Jonestown in 1978 and was shot, but survived!

[Starry Messenger]

45. My rep!

I really admire her.

[pink-o]

57. Mine too!

I live in SF which should be Pelosi, but I'm down in the Excelsior and for awhile had Lantos (whom I loathed). When Jackie took over I was over the moon!

Her first argument on the floor was against all the Iraqi War chicken hawks. And she's been doin' us proud ever since!

[Starry Messenger]

62. Wow, I didn't realize CA-14 extended up so far.

Couldn't stand Lantos either, I'm glad Jackie is on the job.

[BlueToTheBone]

65. You are so lucky!

I have Womack! He is so red that he looks like a nose bleed.

[red dog 1]

59. I agree...Jackie Speir is one of the best & brightest Dems in the House.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

4. Telling them they'll starve food stamp recipients isn't shaming them

it's tempting them.

[Brigid]

16. It is said . . .

that any society is about 9-10 meals away from anarchy. The GOP may want to keep that in mind.

[SomethingFishy]

32. +1.

We have 45 million living in poverty. Already not getting enough food. We have probably another 200 million living paycheck to paycheck. Most of the country is on the edge.

All this is going to do is increase crime. And if they keep pushing, the logical final outcome will be a true class war. Revolt.

[narnian60]

55. +100 nt

[judy]

52. They probably fought for the steak, vodka and caviar

after her speech

[CK_John]

6. How can you shame the shameless?

[Link Speed]

18. Yep, she's just pissing them off

A bunch of self-righteous, narcissistic ideologues.

[Beartracks]

34. My thoughts exactly. It's weird: they think of themselves a "regular folks." n/t

[SunSeeker]

7. Speier needs to name names!! Who was the Rep on the Russia trip? nt

[freshwest]

20. Someone above says Steve King.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

39. Under the rules they can't name names....

But they can cite specifics so you know.

[bonniebgood]

42. What rules? Are the rules for dems only? Repukes don't respect rules. nt

[Spitfire of ATJ]

53. Of course rules are only for Dems.....

How else do you explain the RNC paying over $2000 for a trip to a strip club featuring bondage?

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0330/GOP-fires-Allison-Meyers-as-strip-club-scandal-taints-party

[Liberalynn]

61. I googled

Dana Rohrabacher is one. http://www.gazettenet.com/home/6666390-95/congressmen-visit-russia-to-determine-if-more-could-have-been-done-to-prevent-boston

[SunSeeker]

63. Ugh. He is my Rep.

He uses taxpayer money for his home Congressional office that sits at the foot of the Huntington Beach Pier. Very high rent area...

[Liberalynn]

64. Sorry I know what is like to have a Puke rep who is an embarassment

last time out mine was Tom Reed, he of the "I made a mistake in using campaign funds to pay my late taxes, but I paid them back," fame and now its Chris Collins, another tea puke windbag.

They are so proud of themselves and their greedy asses, and so willing to "lecture" others on how they "must contribute to soicety and not just take from it." I can't stand either one of these hypocrites.

[gopiscrap]

8. Excellent, I've always liked her. The first I took note of her was when she was

wounded in the Jonestown ambush that killed her boss, U.S. Rep. Leo Ryan.

[ladyVet]

26. My mind went blank, and I forgot who she was...

I remember when that Jonestown stuff went down, I was pregnant with my first son. I just couldn't wrap my head around how people could kill their babies like that. Seeing the picture of the bodies lying around that hut, in the November issue (I think) of Life magazine set me crying for days.

Good on her for standing up and calling them on their bullshit, even if it doesn't change them, at least someone is saying it out loud.

[gopiscrap]

27. yup I agree

I was a freshman in college at the time that went down. My girlfriend and I (now my wife) couldn't believe it as we watched what was going on in Jonestown.

[gabeana]

28. Could be mistaken

but i think her husband was killed in a car accident

she is a tough person

[adieu]

36. She also admitted into Congressional records

that she received a late-term abortion because the fetus was not viable and keeping it inside her body could kill her. She explained why some women receive late-term abortions. It's almost always because the fetus is not viable and keeping pregnant has dangerous medical outcomes for the pregnant mother. Rarely do people go to 7 months of a pregnancy before deciding not to have it. Usually, by then, they're completely committed and wanting that baby. It's only when medical investigations show that the fetus is not viable and will cause medical harm to the mother that the late-term abortion is utilized.

[pink-o]

58. Yeah, he was broadsided by a drunk driver

...and she had a helluva time with insurance, debt et al as a widowed, single mom. The second horrible event in her life! Truly, what doesn't kill you makes you strong.

Here's her Wiki page: read her political stands on everything, and we'll all support a Warren/Speier ticket in 2016.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Speier

[TRoN33]

10. Whoa....

This is absolute the most effective nihilistic punch line by this lady toward that certain congressman who knew he did mooch off the taxpayers' money for his lavish trip. Love this one!

[frylock]

11. name some names..

fuck this "one congressman" bullshit. call these mutherfuckers to the carpet.

[Auggie]

19. I agree, though if she did that they'd retaliate n/t

[LittleGirl]

24. maybe it's time to call them out instead

no more threats, just let them retaliate and broadcast that action out to the world.

[Auggie]

25. Yes, she could hold her district whatever they threw at her. It's been blue for a while.

[Laelth]

12. k&r for the truth, however depressing it may be. n/t

-Laelth

[whttevrr]

13. A quick BuzzFeed search found that the member of Congress who took the trip to Argentina was $127 wa

A quick BuzzFeed search found that the member of Congress who took the trip to Argentina was $127 was Rep. Frank Lucas of Oklahoma

Isn't that the putz who wrote this latest iteration of Republican Economic Terrorism?

[Blue Owl]

15. Boner's head should be drooping in shame

n/t

[Brigid]

17. I'm getting an interesting ad on this thread right now.

It is for one of those survival seed vaults. I'm also getting one for the Gleaners Food Bank.

[Iliyah]

21. The party for the 1% just voted to slash 39B

from SNAP you know, the "Christian" party.

[freshwest]

22. Kudoes for naming the real grifters and 'parasites.'

[horseshoecrab]

23. Tell it Jackie!

"Yet they somehow feel like crusaders, like heroes when they vote to cut food stamps."

Well said, Rep. Speier.

[Beartracks]

35. Do they think the same shit about people when they put $ in the church basket?

That is, do they think, "These losers need to get off the church dole and stop taking the hard-earned money of real Americans."

Or do they just think, "This'll sure add up at tax time! I can crow about how much I help people, get a tax break, AND buy that second home in the Poconos!"

Or,wait ... probably both.

==========================

[KamaAina]

29. And her district is relatively affluent.

It covers the southern strip of SF and the northern half of adjacent San Mateo County. Hardly the most affluent distrcit in the Bay Area, but it is in the Bay Area.

Footnote: She was once an aide to Rep. Leo Ryan. If that name sounds familiar, it's because he was killed at Jonestown. Ms. Speier was with him. She barely made it out.

[Scurrilous]

30. K & R

[DiverDave]

31. You cant shame the shameless

eom

[Ilsa]

33. I hope Jackie is on Stephanie Milker's show tomorrow.

We can all call in and thank her for her speech.

Those bastards. WWJS : who would jesus starve?

[AtheistCrusader]

37. Assumes facts not in evidence. Assumes R's possess 'shame' at all.

[Uncle Joe]

38. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, gabeana.

[Grateful for Hope]

40. A huge K&R

[ck4829]

41. One of them recently complained that they ONLY get $172,000 of our tax dollars a year

[Buns_of_Fire]

46. Gingrey (Dumbass-GA)

He didn't even know that his salary is $174,000, not $172,000 -- but what's a couple thousand amongst millionaires?

[hue]

43. Shining the light of truth!!! K&R!!!

[Buns_of_Fire]

44. St. Reagan was right! There ARE "Welfare Queens" in this country!

The problem is that everybody was looking everywhere except Capitol Hill to find them!

[malaise]

47. I watched her

Fabulous!

[merrily]

48. As a party, Democrats do much better on food stamps than Republicans do, but

I hope she shamed those Democrats in both houses who vote against food stamps again and again, right along with Republicans.

[furious]

49. Get after them Rep. Speier.

Shame these heartless rePIGS for cutting a program that less fortunate people rely on to put food on their families tables.

Call them out and keep hammering them so the public can see what kind of hypocrites they really are.

[SpankMe]

50. The idiot Repub-fucks will respond that...

..the money they spent in these foreign countries wasn't taxpayer money. It was from a private organization. So, in their mind it's all clean. It would be ineffective to try to lead them to the conflict with their own stated principles and obvious moral equivalency problems that this presents - because they have no morals or sound principles. It just wouldn't register.

Also, I'd need to know how many Democrats went on these trips and spent money on meals, too. The Franklin Center is a mixed bag of R's and D's and conservatives may punch back by showing Democratic participants who had a few rounds of bacon-infused vodka at $14.50 per shot, too.

[judy]

51. Go Jackie!!

I am so happy that you are my representative!

[NewJeffCT]

54. For Republicans to be shamed

they'd first have to have shame.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

56. YES! HELL. Fucking. YES!

This is a great woman. Long live Jackie Speier.

[Liberalynn]

60. She was Amazing