Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) struck a nerve with House Rules Committee Chair Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) on Wednesday while lobbying against the Trump-backed “big, beautiful bill.”
“You see, they say they’re pro-life because they want the baby to be born, go to school, and get shot in the school. Die in the schools, die on the streets,” Frost said during his testimony before being interrupted.
Foxx abruptly banged the gavel and told the Florida lawmaker he’d “gone over the cliff” while railing against the legislation.
“I meant every word,” Frost told the chair.
The young Democrat was the last to testify in favor of sustaining in the bill the health care tax credits for low-income families and individuals in need of financial relief for medical services.
Democrats and Republicans have been feuding over Medicaid work requirements proposed in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that could strike millions from coverage. The Senate bill is now being considered for revisions in the House as GOP members work to meet the July 4 deadline President Trump set to sign the bill into law.
Foxx said that just because lawmakers differ on their approach to solving medical crises, they are not in favor of people being shot.
“Might be good to leave your words. Because that’s how you feel. But you are not going to come into this room and impugn our integrity. You will not,” Foxx said as she urged Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) to withdraw his motion to strike Frost’s words from the record in an effort to reflect his disdain.
“We are pro-life people, from conception to natural death, most of us are. And don’t you come in here and say, we want to preserve life so people can get shot,” she added.
Frost shot back at Foxx, who has served 10 terms in the lower chamber.
“That’s what I’ve seen,” he told her.
Frost has openly criticized the Trump administration for its federal spending cutbacks and crackdown on illegal immigrants.
