A fiery exchange erupted in Congress Tuesday after Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) accused Republicans of using their pro-life stance as political cover while ignoring the crisis of gun violence facing American children.
Speaking during a House Rules Committee hearing on the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” Frost—Congress’s first Gen Z lawmaker—delivered a scathing rebuke of GOP priorities.
“They say they’re pro-life because they want the baby to be born, go to school, and get shot in the school,” he said. “Die in the schools, die on the streets.”
The remark drew an immediate and furious response from Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), who slammed her gavel and cut him off mid-sentence. “You’ve gone over the cliff,” she snapped. “We are all going to be quiet now.”
Frost, unfazed, replied, “I meant every word.”
The tense moment came after a broader debate over the bill, with Democrats criticizing Republicans for prioritizing Second Amendment rights over public health. Ranking member Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) voiced disbelief at what he saw as misplaced GOP passion. “There’s more energy around defending guns than helping cancer patients,” he said.
Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) invoked civil rights hero John Lewis before yielding time to Frost, who recounted how gun violence shaped his political activism—from the Sandy Hook shooting to surviving a shooting himself in Orlando.
Frost accused pro-gun lobbying groups of pushing for laws that prioritize gun sales over lives. “They don’t care how many people die,” he said, adding that while not a member of “The Squad,” he shares their values.
The backlash was swift. Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) moved to strike Frost’s comments from the record, though later reversed course after Foxx suggested keeping them in for the public to judge.
“You’re not going to come in here and say we want children to die,” Foxx fumed. “We are pro-life from conception to natural death.”
After the hearing adjourned, tensions remained high. Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) lobbed a parting shot, quoting Proverbs 13:5: “The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked bring shame and disgrace.” He later added another verse—Proverbs 14:5—prompting murmurs from Democrats.
The debate not only laid bare deep divides over guns and abortion, but also signaled how emotionally charged and personal these issues remain on Capitol Hill.
