Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) is calling out Republicans for their silence on Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) attack on American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten, in which she said the union leader is “not a mother,” even though she has stepchildren.
Greene’s comment came during a Wednesday meeting of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, during which she and other Republicans questioned Weingarten over AFT’s involvement in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance on reopening schools.
Weingarten told Greene during the hearing she is a “mother by marriage,” but Greene repeatedly said she is “not a mother.”
“The problem is people like you need to admit that you’re just a political activist, not a teacher, not a mother and not a medical doctor,” Greene said.
Frost said on Friday he was adopted by “two loving parents” and received “all the love and support a child could ever ask for.”
“Yet, I heard in this chamber a few days ago that someone’s saying my parents aren’t real parents. Let me be clear — I am their child. They are my parents. And for bigoted, closed-minded reasons, certain folks have decided that people who adopt their children are lesser than,” he said.
Frost said he has not seen any Republicans in the body “condemn these disgusting comments” and hopes they do not agree with them.
“And directly to the people who have opened up their hearts and homes for children ready for their embrace, don’t let anyone ever diminish who you are. You are real parents. A parent and nothing less,” he said.
Frost previously slammed Greene in a tweet after her exchange with Weingarten.
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), a member of the subcommittee, called Greene’s comments “unacceptable,” telling Weingarten “you are a mother” and “thank you for being a great parent.”
The Hill has reached out to Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), who chairs the pandemic subcommittee, for comment on Greene’s and Frost’s remarks.