Fleming’s GOP Colleagues Should Condemn His Remarks
BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana Democratic Party today called on colleagues of Rep. John Fleming to condemn remarks by the Louisiana Republican that suggested the Affordable Care Act — which began enrolling thousands of uninsured Americans this week — is comparable to slavery or segregation.
“The Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, and it’s a law that Fleming and the House Republicans have tried — and failed — to repeal more than 40 times,” said Louisiana Democratic Party Executive Director Stephen Handwerk. “Now Fleming and the GOP have shut down the government in an attempt to delay health coverage for millions of Americans, including nearly 800,000 uninsured Louisianians. To think that thousands of Louisianians will be furloughed and lose their paychecks over this GOP temper tantrum is mind-boggling. But to hear Fleming liken the Affordable Care Act — a law that will literally save lives once it is fully implemented — to slavery is disgusting and beyond the pale. Fleming’s Republican colleagues in the Louisiana delegation should condemn these remarks immediately.”
As first reported by The Nation, during a radio interview this week Fleming agreed with a caller that compared slavery and segregation to the Affordable Care Act, saying, “I think your caller is precisely correct. Whenever there’s a bad law, it can be repealed or nullified.”
Fleming recently endorsed state Sen. Neil Riser, who is running in the 5th Congressional District special election on Oct. 19.
“Neil Riser is running for Congress in a district with the highest percentage of uninsured in the state,” said Handwerk. “Does he actually agree with Fleming that the health reform law is the equivalent of slavery? Riser must answer this question for the voters of the 5th District, and he should disavow Fleming’s endorsement at once.”
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