Texas Lawmakers Waiting for Apology From Florida Lawmaker

Texas lawmakers defend Lone Star State - "Don't mess with Texas"

Don't mess with Texas, if you do you'll have Texas Republicans, namely Rep. Michael Burgess and Rep. Pete Sessions, to deal with.

It all started with a heated exchange during a House Rules Committee hearing Monday focused on a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Rep. Alcee Hasting, D-Florida, insulted Texas while lamenting the fact that Obamacare could prove to be more effective if more states had expanded the medicaid rolls.

Currently, the GOP-dominated Texas has not allowed for a federally-backed expansion of Medicaid, the law that other states have used to cover the poor and uninsured. It's worth noting Florida has not expanded the Medicaid rolls either.

Hastings called Texas "a crazy state" and said he "wouldn't live there for all the tea in China."

That had Burgess asking for an apology for both the state and Texas residents.

"You will wait until hell freezes over for me to say anything in an apology. I would apologize to you if I was directing my comments to you. I was commenting on the state that you happen to be a resident of," said Hastings. "I will not apologize."

Sessions took to the floor Tuesday morning to defend Texas.

"I want to make sure people have a better understanding, to know why Texans are being attacked. That is because we reject big liberal government, that is embodied in the laws known as Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act."

On Tuesday night Texas Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives issued a joint statement saying "Don't mess with Texas" and demanding an apology from Hastings.

According to The Dallas Morning News, Hastings has yet to respond to a demand for an apology to the citizens of Texas issued jointly by the Texas Republicans in the House.

CLICK HERE to read more from our media partners at The Dallas Morning News.
 

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