Don’t mess with Texas. That is the message Florida Democrat Alcee Hastings is hearing over and over again after derogatory statements he made about the Lone Star State Monday at a House Rules Committee hearing.
Alcee Hastings called Texas “crazy” during a debate about repealing Obamacare . Texas Republican Representative Michael Burgess and Florida Democrat Alcee Hastings were sharing their views about the Affordable Care Act when Hastings launched into a rant that prompted the viral hashtag #DontMessWithTexas and an outcry from legions of citizens from the Lone Star State.
“I don’t know about your state, which I think is a crazy state to begin with, and I mean just what I said,” Representative Hastings said to Representative Burgess during the House Rules Committee hearing. Committee chair Virginia Foxx, a Republican from North Carolina, promptly brought down her gavel to bring the meeting back to order.
“That’s a very defamatory statement about my state, and I will not stand here and listen to it,” the Texan said. “Well fine. Then you don’t have to listen. You can leave if you choose. I’ve told you what I think about Texas. I wouldn’t live there for all the tea in China, and that’s how I feel,” Alcee Hastings retorted.
. @LarryGatlin hits back at @RepHastingsFL for calling TX ‘crazy’ in the best way he knows how… #DontMessWithTexas https://t.co/xz8uWtPJYo
— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) February 4, 2015
On Tuesday, all 25 House of Representative members from Texas banded together in a show of solidarity and state pride, and demanded that the Florida Democrat apologize to the Lone Star State. “Don’t mess with Texas,” the simple four-word statement was delivered to Representative Hastings, who shows no sign of backing away from his Texas is crazy comments.
“You will wait until h**l freezes over for me to say anything in an apology. I would apologize to you [Michael Burgess] if I was directing my comments to you. I was commenting about the state that you happen to be a resident of. So I will not apologize,” Alcee Hastings said.
Should tweet all #DontMessWithTexas tweets directly to @RepHastingsFL . Intervention for Liberal Mental Disorder. pic.twitter.com/UMDmnlb08j
— PrincipleNotPolitics (@ReallyIvy) February 4, 2015
With @HouseGOP to call for 56th vote to repeal #ACA it must be #GroundhogDay again pic.twitter.com/KCtQuHL4lu
— Alcee L. Hastings (@RepHastingsFL) February 2, 2015
Amazing people from Texas: Matthew McConaughey, Chuck Norris, Ethan Hawke, Patrick Swayze. Need I say more? #DontMessWithTexas
— Brittany Newton (@Puddin133) February 4, 2015
And people wonder why it’s so hard to work with democrats http://t.co/dKRMxD3Zxl #DontMessWithTexas #RepMichaelBurgess
— Robert Sewell, MD (@DrBob_Southlake) February 3, 2015
What do you think about Alcee Hastings calling Texas “crazy” and the “Don’t mess with Texas” message from Lone Star State lawmakers?
