Tag Archives: Jackie Speier

Speier seeks to shame her colleagues

Good luck, Jackie Speier, if you think your congressional colleagues have any shame left in them.

Rep. Speier, D-Calif., scolded her House Republican colleagues for their extravagant travel habits while they are voting to cut money to pay for food stamps that feed poor Americans.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/09/19/rep-speier-holds-up-vodka-and-steak-on-house-floor-to-shame-food-stamp-opponents/

She singled out a few of them, such as Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, who has this habit of denigrating poor folks with loose and careless talk. King recently went on a trip and spent an amount of money that would have fed him for 881 days on money that would have paid for food stamps.

“They dine at lavish restaurants, eating steak, vodka and even caviar,” she added, showing food props to members of the House. “They receive money to do this. That’s right, they don’t pay out of pocket for these meals,” Speier said in a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives.

Speier isn’t the first member of Congress to try shaming colleagues. Nor will she be the last.

I’m beginning to think that members of Congress have gone far beyond being shamed. Their conduct is shameful and their attitude is shameless.

Still, I applaud Jackie Speier for the valiant attempt at trying to find some thread of decency among her colleagues. Just don’t take one of these trips yourself, Ms. Speier.