Hearing Erupts Over Brutal Crack About Abortion And Guns: ‘You’ve Gone Over the Cliff!’
Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) touched off furious reactions at a hearing with brutal commentary involving abortion and access to guns that his Republican colleagues felt went “over the cliff!”
Frost was a witness toward the end of a very long House Rules Committee meeting on President Donald Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” during which he connected the “right to life” with Democratic Party values and told Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM) that’s why he’s “proud to be a Democrat.”
Things went off the rails when their next exchange led Frost to make a crack that set off committee Chairwoman Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA):
REP. TERESA LEGER FERNÁNDEZ (D-NM): I think that the theme that we are seeing is, you said it, a right to life versus their desire for profit. You just described that, and in this bill that’s what we see over and over again: the right to life, because you need the health insurance, versus the right for profit.
REP. MAXWELL FROST (D-FL): You see, they say they’re pro-life because they want the baby to be born, go to school, and get shot in the school. Die in the schools, die on the streets–.
REP. VIRGINIA FOXX (R-NC): (INDISTINCT SHOUTING, GAVEL-POUNDING).
REP. MAXWELL FROST (D-FL): No, that is what they say.
REP. VIRGINIA FOXX (R-NC): I was not going to say anything, but you’ve gone over the cliff!
REP. AUSTIN SCOTT (R-GA): I move to strike his words.
REP. MAXWELL FROST (D-FL): I have not gone over the cliff.
REP. VIRGINIA FOXX (R-NC): You have gone over! We were going to be quiet, but you’ve gone over now!
REP. TERESA LEGER FERNÁNDEZ (D-NM): He didn’t, you did.
REP. MAXWELL FROST (D-FL): I meant every word.
REP. VIRGINIA FOXX (R-NC): We are going to strike the words. But on the other hand, it might be good to leave your words.
Might be good to leave your words. Because that’s how you feel. But you are not going to come into this room and impugn our integrity! You will not!
We are pro-life people, from conception to natural death, most of us are. And don’t you come in here and say, we want to preserve life so people can get shot!
REP. MAXWELL FROST (D-FL): That’s what I’ve seen.
REP. VIRGINIA FOXX (R-NC): Are you through, Ms. Leger-Fernandez? I hope so.
REP. TERESA LEGER FERNÁNDEZ (D-NM): Well, Madam Chair, I want to thank all of our witnesses for coming in and laying out the distinct perspectives and approaches between how we believe this bill will affect Americans, their ability to get health insurance, which is essential for their ability, to both live a healthy life and to continue to live.
And with that, Madam Chair.
REP. AUSTIN SCOTT (R-GA): Madam Chair, I did make a motion that was not acted upon. If you would like me to withraw that motion–
REP. VIRGINIA FOXX (R-NC): Mr. Scott, I think it’s better to leave those words in the record than to take them out.
REP. AUSTIN SCOTT (R-GA): Withdraw the motion, just for the record.
REP. VIRGINIA FOXX (R-NC): You’re withdrawing your motion. Thank you. Thank you
Watch above via the House Rules Committee.
