Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) went on quite the ramble during the House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Obamacare, inaccurately asserting that no Republicans voted for the Social Security Act of 1935.
During Tuesday’s hearing, the Committee members were allowed to question Marilyn Tavenner, an administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, about the failed rollout of the online health care exchange. Rangel, however, used his time to reminiscence about the history of the Republican Party — or at least history as he remembers it.
“I don’t think that one Republican voted for the Social Security Act, even though those old enough enjoy the benefits,” Rangel claimed.
“That’s not accurate,” two Congressmen responded.
“Well, we’ll see, maybe one or two,” Rangel admitted. “I don’t know.”
In reality, 81 House Republicans and 16 Senate Republicans voted in favor of the Social Security Act.
On the subject of the Affordable Care Act, Rangel said universal health care is an issue of national security, since fighting wars requires healthy young Americans. He noted that Obamacare is “destined to succeed” and that Republicans’ whole political agenda was “locked into hatred for the President and this program.”
“It seems to me that we have to find other ways for us to politically combat each other, because I’d hate to see the day where there’s no Republican Party and I’d have to rely just on my own party for justice and fair play,” he added.
When Rangel’s time was up, Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) fact-checked the New York congressman.
“Just a quick factcheck on the blast from the past, Republicans did support Social Security and Medicare,” Brady pointed out.
After Brady was done speaking, Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) clarified what Rangel originally meant.
“The vote coming out this committee was on a party line vote,” he said. “There were no Republicans who voted for it when it left this cpmmittee…there were 81 who finally voted for it. Mostly progressives, but there’s none left in the Congress.”
“Yes, 84 percent of Republicans voted for the Social Security Act 77 years ago,” Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.), chairman of the committee, shot back. “I’m glad we’re debating current events here.”
Watch Rangel’s odd ramble below:
