Investigate whether drinking played role in chaotic House hearing, senior Democrat Jamie Raskin says

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: UK Independent

5 hours ago


A top-ranking Democrat has said that it’s worth investigating whether alcohol was involved in an explosive, insult-ridden House Oversight Committee hearing earlier this week.

Representative Jamie Raskin called for the investigation after Melanie Stansbury, a Democrat, said non-committee members were drinking in the chamber during a hearing where Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene kicked off a fiery exchange by insulting lawmaker Jasmine Crockett.

“I didn’t see the drinking but the gentlelady from New Mexico, Melanie Stansbury, raised it,” Mr Raskin told Fox News outside the US Capitol on Friday. “She said ‘there are members drinking in the room,’ and that’s something that is worth investigating if there was in fact drinking taking place.” Mr Raskin pointed the finger at lawmakers from across the aisle.

“There was drinking going on in the hearing room on the Republican side,” he told The Hill. “You had a bunch of members who had skipped legislative votes yesterday in order to go to Donald Trump’s trial...I don’t even want to imagine how much drinking was taking place on the train or up in New York,” he said. “And these members came back out of control. And the chairman did not rein them in, and the institution pays the price.” Additional unnamed representatives from both parties also told Politico they saw members drinking.

Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/jamie-raskin-drinking-house-hearing-b2547301.html

[elleng]

1. LOVE it!

“I didn’t see the drinking but the gentlelady from New Mexico, Melanie Stansbury, raised it,” Mr Raskin told Fox News outside the US Capitol on Friday. “She said ‘there are members drinking in the room,’ and that’s something that is worth investigating if there was in fact drinking taking place.” Mr Raskin pointed the finger at lawmakers from across the aisle.

“There was drinking going on in the hearing room on the Republican side,” he told The Hill. “You had a bunch of members who had skipped legislative votes yesterday in order to go to Donald Trump’s trial...I don’t even want to imagine how much drinking was taking place on the train or up in New York,” he said. “And these members came back out of control. And the chairman did not rein them in,

[Irish_Dem]

2. Would explain some of the GOP bad behavior.

Drugs and booze stashed in their desks and break room.

[Think. Again.]

8. The "GOP" part explains the bad behavior.

[Irish_Dem]

9. Yes but the drugs and booze make it even worse.

I have suspected there is drinking and drugs going on right on the congressional floor.
Lindsay Graham looks drunk sometimes.
And we know some of the House members act totally unhinged some days.
Worse than usual.

[Democracy Defender]

23. But we have to be careful

making this case or it opens the door to repubs bringing back up our staffer recording himself having sex on the floor then posting it online

[Irish_Dem]

25. I do not give a rat's behind what any GOP might do with my comments.

They are going to be nasty, ugly people no matter what we say or do.

[Demsrule86]

32. That is rightwing crap...from GOP sources.

The house was in chaos thanks to MTC... should not be tolerated. The 'they both do excuse' for badly behaving Republicans is unacceptable.

Dec 16, 2023 — Conservative news outlets alleged that the aide to Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., appeared in a leaked video showing men having sex in a Senate ...

[femmedem]

47. And check out the poster's other four posts. n/t

[Kingofalldems]

33. Yeah no.

[dpibel]

35. Opens the door?

Because otherwise, the honorable Republicans would never mention it?

Welcome to DU! You will have a great time here!!1!!

[MorbidButterflyTat]

38. Oh yes

"we" must be careful because they might.... jeez.

[RandomNumbers]

48. Did the staffer get fired? If so, let them bring it up - excellent example of what should happen.

If not, then he should have been.

Either way, one staffer doing something boorish and improper (assuming it was consensual, including recording and posting), is a whole lot different than several Congress members DRINKING ON THE JOB.

If I were drinking on the job or drunk on the job, I don't think I'd get any mulligan for that - I'd be gone pretty quick.

[maxrandb]

55. Exactly! "Some people say they drink and do drugs to 'enhance' their personalities"

"But what if you're an asshole"?

[PatSeg]

57. Some of these republicans

don't need booze or drugs to behave horribly. We've seen this kind of behavior for years.

Meanwhile, I'm sure there is plenty of drinking going on in congress on both sides and always has been.

[Irish_Dem]

58. Well yes.

But we see the erratic behavior of the MAGAs and GOP members on TV.
Some of it is more typical of drugs and booze.

[PatSeg]

61. Bringing out more of their true personalities

Though I suspect many of them don't need any help being total assholes in front of a camera.

[Irish_Dem]

62. Yes blocking any remaining filters.

Even worse social
Judgment than usual.

[PatSeg]

63. Exactly

[leftieNanner]

3. Such deep respect for the institution

Clowns, assholes, and drunks.

SMDH

[Dave Bowman]

26. They have no respect for anything or anyone.

Sorry excuses for human beings.

[doc03]

4. They should be called in for random drug tests. nt

[Irish_Dem]

16. We know that some of the MOC could not pass drug tests.

In addition to drug testing they should include blood alcohol levels.

MOCs are making in some cases life and death decisions on behalf of the American people.
It would be nice if they were sober.

[DFW]

54. Two tests that should be given to all members of Congress

One before they are allowed to be sworn in, and one before they enter the chamber.

Each member of Congress should be given the same citizenship test that immigrants must pass before they are sworn in as US citizens. If they can’t pass that test, they have no legitimate claim to being sworn in as members of Congress. If some prospective immigrant from Guatemala needs to pass the test in order to be a citizen, then the person representing him/her in Congress should at the very least be held to the same standard.

Same should go for entering the House or t chamber. Random alcohol tests, despite the obvious impracticality. If you are going to vote on laws that affect the country, you vote with a clear head or not at all. Ten year minimum jail term for faking a positive result in order to keep members voting on important bills or resolutions.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

60. I would add a psychiatric workup

If found narcissistic, authoritarian, or psychopath they lack the empathy necessary to do the job of making decisions about other people’s lives

[DFW]

67. Unfortunately, as far as THOSE particular characteristics go

They are, in some states, the characteristics which made them attractive to a majority of voters in those states to begin with.
Positive tests for those attributes would, in some states, be considered not only an asset, but a pre-condition for the Republican nomination to a seat in Congress.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

71. Welp if it made fewer republicans

Get voted for I have no problem with that.

[Walleye]

5. Well they rode the Acela train back from NYC. Probably in the club car or bar car as it sometimes called

I must take a lot of alcohol to dull the humiliation. These small town boys aren’t used to the big city

[captain queeg]

11. A few of them are incapable of shame, but some others would want to drown out their own hypocrisy

[Biophilic]

18. And some, in their stupidity would want to celebrate their "bravery ".

[sop]

6. I'm shocked!

[Mopar151]

7. The executioner is always drunk!

When nasty people waver in their "sincerely held beliefs", A little " Dutch Courage " will get them through!

Look what it's done for Rudy!

[Mopar151]

43. Or Soggy Steve Bannon nt

[malaise]

10. Raskin will be on M$NBComcast at 6. 00pm

tonight with Capehart

[central scrutinizer]

12. They need one of those breathalyzer devices at the door

“Sorry, congresswoman, you’re over the limit and can’t take your seat, go home and sleep it off.”

[ThoughtCriminal]

13. I think I would die from alcohol poisoning

if I had to drink enough to think like a Republican

[Biophilic]

19. I really appreciate this sentiment.

[vapor2]

14. What's the excuse for their horrid behavior

when they aren't drinking??

[COL Mustard]

45. I guess MTG can be

Stupid, rude and drunk at the same time! It’s like a trifecta of boorishness.

[RandomNumbers]

49. Or maybe she's always drunk.

That would explain a bit.

[hadEnuf]

15. These people are scum who act like most redneck assholes do who are hammered at a party.

I think it's a safe bet to assume it was a lot of booze mouth going on at the hearing.

Not that pieces of shit like them need booze to run their sphincter like mouths..

[HandmaidsTaleUntold]

17. Boebert Was Drunk

Ramy was ridiculous. Such a petulant little boy.

[Traurigkeit]

20. When are Republican politicians not drunk ?

[Pas-de-Calais]

21. 100 bottles of beer on the wall

100 bottles of beer
Take one down
Pass it around

Idiot Magats fall off of the wall

[COL Mustard]

28. 100 bottles of beer on the wall....

MTG says "where"! Fixed it for you.

[NoMoreRepugs]

22. Who's afraid to take a drug test?

[calimary]

24. Probably every last one of 'em.

They’d try to turn it around and demand drug tests for the Dems. Just because.

Turds on two legs.

[COL Mustard]

27. I wouldn't be surprised.

MTG is vile and creepy, and apparently a mean drunk on top of that. Yeesh.

I hope SNL roasts her tonight.

[MOMFUDSKI]

29. The House will now be called

Animal House.

[COL Mustard]

46. Fat, drunk and stupid

Is no way to go through life. Dean Wormer was right.

[ShazzieB]

30. Did MTG go to NYC with the red tie brigade?

I don't remember hearing about it if she did...but she was probably the most outrageously out of control person in the room at that hearing.

[Warpy]

31. Stansbury is my Rep

and I'll vote for her again and not because of this. She's a solid progressive.

I'm not a bir surprised they were shitfaced, that pious family values Christian bunch. I have to admit that if I was stuck with that bunch, I'd need some sort of chemical help to cope.

[Rebl2]

34. I sometimes

wonder if in Jefferson City, MO if there is a lot of drinking on the job in the capitol while they are debating or in the offices of our state capitol before they debate bills.

[Cheezoholic]

36. They're wannabe Russians, of course they're drunk ;) )

[Martin68]

37. Time to call out the frat boy mentality of the MAGOP

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

39. Alcohol and steroids don't mix MTG.

[Efilroft Sul]

40. I'd rather somebody investigate Alito and Ginny Thomas.

[elleng]

41. Love it!

Sorry Jamie Raskin isn't my rep any longer, 'just' Steny Hoyer. (I moved, changed districts.)

[Nasruddin]

42. Casaloca

I'm shocked, shocked to find that drinking is going on in here. Everybody out at once!

[Evolve Dammit]

44. You and I would lose our jobs and/or careers in a heartbeat for this.

[Novara]

50. So we, as taxpayers, are paying for these assholes to travel to support a felony-charged criminal, ...

... get drunk on the train afterwards, and then insult each other like a junior high mean girl fight.

I want my money back.

I DID get fired for drinking on the job. Then I got sober. That was nearly 16 years ago. But yes, at the time I deserved to be fired. Booze and work don't mix, and goddammit, we as taxpayers aren't paying for them to get drunk and insult each other.

All of them are an embarrassment to America.

[FakeNoose]

51. If this is true (and it sounds like it is) those GOP Representatives should be censured

... and docked a day's pay, or maybe even a higher fine. They are on salary working for Uncle Sam and their job is to represent their Congressional Districts - not the Repuke Party and not Chump's legal difficulties.

If any average hard-working American pulled a stunt like this, we'd be fired from our jobs. Case closed.

[Historic NY]

52. seen pictures of Congressional offices and there is booze out in the open

the Congressional staffers when Trump was in officepr were whooping it up with booze parties on the old offices next to to the WH when Trump was in office. Remember the big carts of beer in the halls

[Maeve]

53. So EmptyGreene wasn't empty? Explains a lot eom

[IronLionZion]

56. Pretty standard behavior for MTG, she always seems filled with the spirit

[Traurigkeit]

59. In vino veritas

From bleach blonde, bad built, butch body Georgia representative

[not fooled]

64. Well, when you have sold your soul to Putin and the oligarchy

Guess being blotto helps these tools cope.

[Bayard]

65. Family values again

No respect for the institution or the American people.

[ificandream]

66. No one has ever mentioned it, but I suspect MTG is an alcoholic.

Would explain a lot.

[GenThePerservering]

70. I think she's just a loud mouth asshole

maybe steroids have something to do with it, but some people don't really need any help.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

68. Republicans don't care if their reps are drunk. In fact.....

leaders may even encourage it 'cause many of them will be 10X nastier when inebriated......

[Renew Deal]

69. It makes the entire country look bad when the message is that legislators are drunk while working.

It's something you'd expect from somewhere else.