GOP lawmaker fumes after Maxine Waters turns the tables on him at House hearing

GOP lawmaker fumes after Maxine Waters turns the tables on him at House hearing
Rep. Maxine Waters speaking with attendees at the 2019 California Democratic Party State Convention at the George R. Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, California, Gage Skidmore
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The House of Representatives Rules Committee hearing denouncing socialism was turned upside down when longtime Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA), repurposed a line of questions from Representative Nick Langworthy (R-NY) about the prevalence and adoption of socialism in the United States.

"We will not have a cradle to grave dependency," Langworthy said in the hearing. "This country will not be all things to all people. We cannot create an expectation that government is all things to all people."

Langworthy then turned his questioning to Waters, who was testifying as a witness in the hearing.

"Do you agree with Donald Trump's statement in the 2019 State of the Union that America will never be a socialist country," Langworthy asked Waters.

Waters then took control of the dialogue, first referencing the high level of debt spending that occurred during the Trump administration then questioning the validity of Langworthy and the Republican party's stance against socialism. Waters also spoke on the "Democratic spending myth."

"There are industries [Republicans] support, and now you think they are ripping people off," said Waters.

Waters then asked Langworthy if he believed the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was a socialist initiative, citing the number of Republicans in Congress who took funds from the PPP program. Langworthy said it was not a socialist initiative because it was done during "an extraordinary time when we shut down the government."

Langworthy then repeated if Waters agreed with Trump's 2019 State of the Union declaration about socialism.

""President Trump said a lot of things," said Waters. "He said he thought Hitler did some good things. For those of you who continue to embrace Trump and all that he did and said -- I reject all that. Trump has proven to be someone who is in line with dictators and admires them and claims to love them, so I reject any and everything Trump has to say."

Waters then took the time to question the GOP's position on socialism once again.

"Sometimes you like socialism, sometimes you act like you don't," Waters said.

Langworthy ended up ceding his time.

"We're talking about stuff you don't want to talk about," Waters said to end the discussion.

Watch video below or at this link.


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