U.S. Rep. Gohmert: Libya Attacks An Excuse To Call Up Obama's Private Army
WASHINGTON, D.C. (CBSDFW.COM) - U.S. Representative Louie Gohmert, (R)-Tyler, says American involvement in Libya is a ruse for President Barack Obama to call up the private army created by the health care law.
Gohmert made the comments while speaking on the House floor Wednesday. Here's the video:
Talking about the attacks on Libya, Gohmert said, "maybe there's intention to so deplete the military that we're going to need that presidential reserve officer commissioned corps and non-commissioned corps that the president can call up on a moment's notice involuntarily, according to the Obamacare bill."
Gohmert is referring to a part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care act, the health care overhaul which took effect in 2010. The law allowed the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps to create a reservist group of health care professionals who can be involuntarily called up for service in times of public health emergencies.
Some people have interpreted that part of the law to mean that it created a private civilian army for the president.
The group, called the Ready Reserve Corps, is somewhat similar to the National Guard. But instead of a group of soldiers, the Ready Reserve Corps is a team of doctors, dentists, nurses, and other health care professionals.
The Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, created in 1798, is one of the federal government's seven uniformed services. The others are the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines, the Coast Guard, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Commissioned Corps.
Gohmert made news last year for his claims of "terror babies." He said terrorists were sneaking into the U.S. and raising future terrorists as Americans.
