Congressman's Racist Excuse Not to Host Town Hall
This Republican's Excuse For Not Hosting a Town Hall Is Not Just Weak — It's Absolutely Insulting
Speaking to thousands of miners at a coal miner rally in DC to fight for their pension and health benefits. #umwa pic.twitter.com/GnysCILPkN
— Rep. Mike Bost (@RepBost) September 8, 2016
Constituents are not pleased with the Republican party following its pledge to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and replace it with . . . well, they aren't sure yet. Typically, members of Congress host town hall events so that they can respond to their constituents' concerns. However, several GOP lawmakers have avoided such events lately out of fear they will be questioned about healthcare by angry crowds.
Lawmakers' excuses have run the gamut of ridiculous, but Illinois House Representative Mike Bost's explanation for not hosting a town hall is not just inadequate, it's offensive. Speaking to The Southern Illinoisan, Bost claimed that he didn't have enough time to address his constituents, followed by a bizarre anecdote.
"The amount of time that I have at home is minimal. I need to make sure that it's productive," Bost said. "You know the cleansing that the Orientals used to do where you'd put one person out in front and 900 people yell at them? That's not what we need. We need to have meetings with people that are productive."
Bost's justification is obviously problematic for more than one reason. Referring to any group of people as "Orientals" is an antiquated and offensive label. But Bost's suggestion that he does not have enough time to speak with his constituents is also insulting — why run for office if you cannot allocate time to speak to the people you're supposed to represent?
Republican members of Congress know they will face tough criticism from their constituents over healthcare, which is perhaps a sign that they should explore a route for the millions of Americans with Obamacare to keep their coverage.
