Congressional Outrage Du Jour-- Anyone Remember Virginia Foxx?

Most people outside of North Carolina who have ever heard of this unfortunate batshitcrazy extremist just know Virginia Foxx for her tight embrace of bigotry and radical right buffoonery. Everyone knows she hates immigrants and she hates gays and she hates... well... she sure hates public education. She just doesn't believe in it. Like so many Republicans, she doesn't think education is for everyone, just for the wealthy.

Yesterday she had an opportunity for a two-for-one, a chance to show her disdain for needy children and for public school with one nasty vote. My own congresswoman, Diane Watson, introduced a simple resolution yesterday (which had over 50 co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle), H.Res.362. It expresses the House's support for the goals and ideals of the National School Lunch Program and "recognizes that our pupils deserve access to high-quality, safe, and nutritious meals in school." It passed 403-13, every Democrat and 155 Republicans, including the entire GOP congressional leadership voting in favor.

So who could possibly be against this? Let me give you a hint. Every single member of the North Carolina congressional delegation, Democrats and Republicans voted in favor, except one. Yes, of course, Virginia Foxx joined the hateful likes of hard core anti-America fanatics like Paul Broun (R-GA), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Tom McClintock (R-CA), and Ted Poe (R-TX), no one who is taken seriously by anyone in Washington.

This was about a program that the important agricultural interests in western North Carolina heartily support. But, as usual, Foxx wasn't looking out for the interests of her own constituents-- not the needy families she spits on but not even the well-connected AgriBusiness firms she's usually sucking up to!

As you may know, Blue America has endorsed her opponent, plainspoken farmer and carpenter Billy Kennedy from Watauga County. This morning we asked him how he left about Foxx's bizarre vote.

What a sad day for North Carolina’s 5th Congressional district. Rep. Foxx was one of just 13 House members to vote against H RES 362, a bill “Expressing the support of the House of Representatives for the goals and ideals of the National School Lunch Program.”

If you can’t say “yes” to the “goals” of America’s national school lunch program, then what the heck can you say “yes” to? America’s national lunch program provides a mid day meal to over 30 million school kids every day and snacks for children in after-school programs. The School Lunch Program operates in public schools, non-profit private schools, and some child care facilities. Its goal is to provide “nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches.”

1-in-7 children in North Carolina lives in a household that is forced to reduce food intake, alter normal eating patterns, or go hungry because they lack the money or resources to obtain adequate food. More than 800,000 NC school children take part in the National School Lunch Program each day. In 2007, even before the current recession hit, 7 out of 10 children in Alleghany County participated in the school lunch program. Almost that many children got free or reduced lunches in Surry, Wilkes and Ashe counties, and more than half the children in Yadkin and Forsyth counties participated.

What was Rep. Foxx thinking? Maybe she was still mulling over the words of Rush Limbaugh who said just this February about our national school lunch program: "It never occurs to the parents to go to the grocery store?" I doubt Rush Limbaugh has ever gone hungry, and it looks like Rep. Foxx isn’t having any trouble finding her next meal either. In fact, maybe she should get out of the Washington House members’ Longworth cafeteria a little more often, where on Tuesdays she can dine on Wild Mushroom, Cheese Stuffed Ravioli at a discount and where the coffee comes from Pura Vida. At least that’s what the “United States House of Representatives Dining Service Website” says.

It's past time to retire Virginia Foxx back to her taxpayer subsidized Christmas tree farm and get her out of a position where she can continue hurting American families. The woman is demented. Please consider a contribution to Billy's grassroots campaign.