PICKET: (AUDIO) Rep Hastings 'hopes' Justice Roberts has additional security since hcr decision
By Kerry Picket The Washington Times - July 10, 2012, 01:08PM
Congressman Alcee Hastings, Florida Democrat, excoriated Republicans during a meeting of the House rules committee on Monday night when members of the committee debated procedure for the House repeal vote of the Affordable Care Act this week. Hastings excoriated GOP members for the repeal vote and accused Republicans for not having a plan follow any repeal.
"At the rate we're going, somebody needs to tell the American people the truth aside from malpractice reform and cross state, 'you don't have a plan.' All you want to do is just go out to the November 6 election and say that you'll repeal something. Well repeal it then and I think you will find that when the deal goes down the American people aren't as crazy as some of us think."
Hastings also accused Republican members for using hyperbole to gin up the country and scare Americans over the health care law. In fact, he hoped that additional security from the Marshals. was being provided for Chief Justice John Roberts, since Roberts sided with the liberal half of the court.
"But the most important thing I want you all to do is stop disrespecting the Supreme Court the way you have. People using hyperbole—people using their skills to go out and scare people and make the court, and I imagine Justice Roberts probably has no fear for his life, but the kind of decision that he made rankles so many people in this country, that I hope that the marshals will provide and I know they know how to. The additional requirements are for his safety." Listen here
I later asked Rep. Hastings about his concerns regarding Justice Robert's safety to which Rep. Hastings said,"I said I hope that the marshals provide additional security because of the rankled country that's out here." Listen here
The Florida Congressman also criticized Republican Governor Rick Scott, who among other GOP governors, said that he would not implement the health care exchanges in his state.
"Stop it. That's what you do. That's what my little granddaughter says. She said, 'stop it.' And you tell the governor of my state [Rick Scott] to stop it. He won't implement the health exchange program. They are going to be health exchange programs anyhow. The federal government would implement it and that would be about where we come from.