Conservatives were upset when House Republican leadership fast-tracked a vote on a Medicare doctor payment fix (or “Doc Fix”) bill through the chamber on Thursday and Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) wanted to make sure his objections were known.
“I consider it a step backwards for democracy,” Broun said in a statement, confirmed by TPM. “This Putin-esque behavior is an example of why I voted against Boehner as Speaker of the House.”
It’s worth noting that Boehner has Russian President Vladimir Putin a “thug” before.
The bill was passed through the chamber by an unrecorded voice vote on Thursday. Like Broun, Rep. Louie Gohmert took to the House floor to complain about the rushed vote.
Still, Republican leadership considers Broun and Gohmert’s complaints outliers.
“A large majority of members were fine with the vote. They understood the consequences for seniors and doctors if it didn’t pass,” a senior House GOP aide told TPM.
Broun is one of a number of Republicans seeking the GOP nomination in the Senate race for outgoing Sen. Saxby Chambliss’ (R) Senate seat. A number of GOP candidates this cycle have attacked Boehner as a way to express their conservative bona fides.
(H/t: The Daily Caller)
This post was updated.
