GOP Congressman Ready To Duel Over Health Care Bill, But Not With Women

Updated

A Republican congressman did not throw away his shot when he called out his Senate counterparts for their lack of “courage” in the ongoing failure to pass health care legislation.

In a local radio interview last Friday, Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) took particular issue with the GOP women who didn’t get the job done. Or as he described them ― wait for it ― “some female senators from the Northeast” who opposed the legislation.

Farenthold suggested he would have challenged them to a duel — if only they were men.

“If it was a guy from south Texas, I might ask him to step outside and settle this Aaron Burr-style,” he said.

Presumably Farenthold was referring to Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.), whose opposition to the Senate health care bill effectively stopped it in its tracks last week. Only one of them, Collins, actually hails from the Northeast.

Spokespeople for Collins, Murkowski and Capito did not immediately return HuffPost’s requests for comment.

On Tuesday, Collins criticized Farenthold, while caught on a hot mic following a Senate subcommittee hearing.

“Did you see the one who challenged me to a duel?” Collins asked what appears to be subcommittee ranking member Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.).

“I know,” he responded. “You could beat the shit out of him.”

Collins went on to call Farenthold “so unattractive, it’s unbelievable.”

This story has been updated with remarks from Collins on Tuesday.

H/T The Associated Press, with apologies to Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Also on HuffPost

Demonstrators are arrested by U.S. Capitol police while protesting against Republican health care reform legislation outside the offices of Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill.
Demonstrators are arrested by U.S. Capitol police while protesting against Republican health care reform legislation outside the offices of Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill.
Samantha Coronado of Tucson, Arizona, and fellow demonstrators are arrested after protesting outside the offices of Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.).
Samantha Coronado of Tucson, Arizona, and fellow demonstrators are arrested after protesting outside the offices of Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.).
 Demonstrators are lead away in handcuffs.
 Demonstrators are lead away in handcuffs.
Capitol Police officers arrest a protester.
Capitol Police officers arrest a protester.
A demonstrator is carried away.
A demonstrator is carried away.
A healthcare activist holds up a sign while she and others occupy the office of Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) to protest the Republican health care bill at the U.S. Capitol on July 10, 2017.
A healthcare activist holds up a sign while she and others occupy the office of Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) to protest the Republican health care bill at the U.S. Capitol on July 10, 2017.
Health care activists protest to stop the Republican health care bill at Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill.
Health care activists protest to stop the Republican health care bill at Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill.
Health care activists are detained after the protest.
Health care activists are detained after the protest.
A health care activist holds up a sign.
A health care activist holds up a sign.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.

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