Republican accuses GOP colleagues of committing sin for LGBT protection vote
A House Republican on Thursday accused a number of his own GOP colleagues of committing a sin because they voted in favor of an anti-discrimination LGBT proposal, according to The Hill newspaper.
To begin a Republican policy meeting, Rep. Rick Allen, R-Georgia, read a Bible passage aloud that condemns homosexuality, the report said. People inside the meeting told The Hill that Allen suggested his colleagues violated Christian tenets because they backed an LGBT protection provision.
"It was f***ing ridiculous," one GOP lawmaker told The Hill.
According to the report, several Republicans walked out of the room.
Democrats have been trying to attach an amendment to spending bills that would bar federal contracts to companies that discriminate against LGBT employees.
Last week, the amendment failed only seconds after it looked like it had the votes to pass. Democrats accused GOP leaders of twisting arms to ensure that the proposal would fail and the House erupted into chaos. This week, the amendment passed, but the spending bill it was attached to failed because of Republican opposition to the LGBT protection amendment.
Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, accused Democrats of trying to sabotage the appropriations process.
"What we just learned today was that the Democrats weren't looking to advance an issue, they were looking to sabotage the appropriations process. The fact that the author of the amendment that prevailed then turned around and voted against the bill containing his amendment tells us that they are trying to stop the amendment process in its tracks," Ryan said.
"House Republicans' thirst to discriminate against the LGBT community is so strong that they are willing to vote down their own appropriations bill in order to prevent progress over bigotry," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, said in a stateme
