Representative Allen Bernard West

Allen B. West Represented Florida’s 22nd District 2011-2013

Congressman Allen West was a Tea Party member of the House of Representatives during the 112th Congress. Known as the Tea Party Darling, he was elected in November 2010 with the slew of Tea Partiers who won their elections by claiming they were going to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the United States. Instead of creating jobs, however West and his cohorts set about taking away women’s rights, voter rights, and did nothing to create jobs.

​During September of 2012, West sponsored a bill called the “National Security and Job Protection Act“. Most Americans probably know this measure as its more commonly referenced term, “The Sequester”. Implementation of the terms entailed in this sequester bill would undoubtedly accelerate job lossage rather than spur increases. But this did not stop West and his 112th Congress that claimed they were going to create jobs from signing on to this bill. No… Americans should not be fooled by the name of the act which on the surface may read and sound like positive steps in the way of protecting jobs and our nation. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

When delving into the bill’s details, it becomes clear that the measure would take 2.4 billion dollars from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), reduce the Head Start program for preschool children to the tune of $650 million, and decrease Border Patrol Agents by 9%. This means a loss of 1,870 agents… That’s 1,870 less jobs in an already sluggish job market. The deductions forcing a loss of early education for 75,000 preschoolers could mean a loss of teaching positions as well. And then there was the irony of West’s stance on cancer concerns. Monies taken from NIH could easily deter funds from cancer research. The irony can only be clear when considering the fact that West also sponsored a bill in support of stomach cancer awareness month for November 2012.

Many may recall West sending an email to Debbie Wasserman Schultz in which he referred to her as “the most vile, unprofessional, and despicable member of the US House of Representatives”. He also suggested that Schultz was “not a lady”. In addition to being a member of the House at that time, Schultz was also the Democratic National Committee Chairwoman. Despite the fact that Schultz was citing a difference of opinion having to do with Medicare when she apparently teed off the congressman, West cited a 2010 dispute existing between the two of them. Just the same, those with clarity can only deduce that such an insulting email forwarded throughout the Congress was in itself vile, despicable, and unprofessional. One can only deduce that West, perhaps, was not so gentlemanly despite his position in the House of Representatives that regularly refers to the male members as gentlemen.

West spurred controversy in 2012 by providing a Chick-fil-A meal to a Congressional Black Caucus meeting when his turn came to foot the ticket. According to Representative Alcee Hastings (FL) who spoke for the caucus, West was the only Republican member and attended meetings up and until he delivered the chicken meal. Afterwards, he never attended another CBC meeting.

During an interview Hastings told the Huffington Post that West’s primary intention was to insult CBC members and their opposition to the Chick-Fil-A owner’s statements that he was against the gay community. 

Note that West won his 2010 seat in a newly drawn district carefully outlined to favor Republicans. This was in spite of President Barack Obama winning that district in the 2008 elections. Fortunately, West was beat out by Patrick Murphy in 2012 after serving only two years! One Tea Party Congressman down… but MANY more to go!!

West’s Coca Cola controversy over multi-language singing of America the Beautiful spurred outrage after the commercial aired during the 2014 Super Bowl. West had a problem with what he called “The National Anthem” being sung in languages that were not English because he could not understand what the singers were saying…..  

Boot those radical righties into the sea!

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