Investigate whether drinking played role in chaotic House hearing, senior Democrat Jamie Raskin says
Source: UK Independent
5 hours ago
A top-ranking Democrat has said that its 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 didnt 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 thats 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 Trumps trial...I dont 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
(132,332 posts)I didnt 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 thats 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 Trumps trial...I dont 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
(50,520 posts)Drugs and booze stashed in their desks and break room.
Think. Again.
(10,222 posts)Irish_Dem
(50,520 posts)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
(6 posts)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
(50,520 posts)They are going to be nasty, ugly people no matter what we say or do.
Demsrule86
(69,100 posts)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
(8,234 posts)Kingofalldems
(38,631 posts)dpibel
(2,961 posts)Because otherwise, the honorable Republicans would never mention it?
Welcome to DU! You will have a great time here!!1!!
MorbidButterflyTat
(1,962 posts)"we" must be careful because they might.... jeez.
RandomNumbers
(17,732 posts)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
(15,556 posts)"But what if you're an asshole"?
PatSeg
(48,464 posts)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
(50,520 posts)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
(48,464 posts)Though I suspect many of them don't need any help being total assholes in front of a camera.
Irish_Dem
(50,520 posts)Even worse social
Judgment than usual.
leftieNanner
(15,276 posts)Clowns, assholes, and drunks.
SMDH
Dave Bowman
(2,095 posts)Sorry excuses for human beings.
doc03
(35,603 posts)Irish_Dem
(50,520 posts)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
(54,930 posts)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 cant 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
(12,611 posts)If found narcissistic, authoritarian, or psychopath they lack the empathy necessary to do the job of making decisions about other peoples lives
DFW
(54,930 posts)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
(12,611 posts)Get voted for I have no problem with that.
Walleye
(31,591 posts)I must take a lot of alcohol to dull the humiliation. These small town boys arent used to the big city
captain queeg
(10,667 posts)Biophilic
(3,882 posts)sop
(10,652 posts)Mopar151
(10,053 posts)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
(10,053 posts)malaise
(270,852 posts)tonight with Capehart
central scrutinizer
(11,745 posts)Sorry, congresswoman, youre over the limit and cant take your seat, go home and sleep it off.
ThoughtCriminal
(14,131 posts)if I had to drink enough to think like a Republican
Biophilic
(3,882 posts)vapor2
(1,307 posts)when they aren't drinking??
COL Mustard
(6,157 posts)Stupid, rude and drunk at the same time! Its like a trifecta of boorishness.
RandomNumbers
(17,732 posts)That would explain a bit.
hadEnuf
(2,323 posts)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
(334 posts)Ramy was ridiculous. Such a petulant little boy.
Traurigkeit
(956 posts)Pas-de-Calais
(9,935 posts)100 bottles of beer
Take one down
Pass it around
Idiot Magats fall off of the wall
COL Mustard
(6,157 posts)MTG says "where"! Fixed it for you.
NoMoreRepugs
(9,673 posts)calimary
(82,040 posts)Theyd try to turn it around and demand drug tests for the Dems. Just because.
Turds on two legs.
COL Mustard
(6,157 posts)MTG is vile and creepy, and apparently a mean drunk on top of that. Yeesh.
I hope SNL roasts her tonight.
MOMFUDSKI
(6,366 posts)Animal House.
COL Mustard
(6,157 posts)Is no way to go through life. Dean Wormer was right.
ShazzieB
(17,018 posts)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
(111,837 posts)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
(13,813 posts)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
(2,104 posts)Martin68
(23,478 posts)Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(109,533 posts)Efilroft Sul
(3,606 posts)elleng
(132,332 posts)Sorry Jamie Raskin isn't my rep any longer, 'just' Steny Hoyer. (I moved, changed districts.)
Nasruddin
(763 posts)I'm shocked, shocked to find that drinking is going on in here. Everybody out at once!
Evolve Dammit
(17,122 posts)Novara
(5,953 posts)... 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
(33,525 posts)... 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
(37,500 posts)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
(42,404 posts)IronLionZion
(45,905 posts)Traurigkeit
(956 posts)From bleach blonde, bad built, butch body Georgia representative
not fooled
(5,833 posts)Guess being blotto helps these tools cope.
Bayard
(22,612 posts)No respect for the institution or the American people.
ificandream
(9,579 posts)Would explain a lot.
GenThePerservering
(2,003 posts)maybe steroids have something to do with it, but some people don't really need any help.
KY_EnviroGuy
(14,526 posts)leaders may even encourage it 'cause many of them will be 10X nastier when inebriated......
Renew Deal
(81,959 posts)It's something you'd expect from somewhere else.