Stivers says Both Parties’ Rhetoric Inciting Hate
NRCC chairman said culture hasn’t changed after Congressional Baseball practice shooting
National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Rep. Steve Stivers said both parties run the risk of escalating anger across the country.
Stivers made the remarks in an interview with the conservative Washington Examiner when saying that both parties have not toned down rhetoric after a brief pause following the shooting at the Republican team’s practice for the Congressional Baseball Game.
“It always changes for a little while, and then it reversed. So everybody said, ‘Gee, we need to look in the mirror and look at ourselves about how we might be contributing to this,’” he said. “And then the next day, [House Minority Leader] Nancy Pelosi puts out a statement saying the health care bill is going to kill people, and no wonder people feel incited because their own elected officials are telling them, ‘Gee, there’s life and death at stake on these things .’”
The Ohio Republican said neither side took initiative to say enough was enough, despite the fact Majority Whip Steve Scalise was shot in the hip and faces a long road for recovery.
“We all need to look ourselves in the mirror and figure out how we might be contributing to the problems with our society,” he said.
Stivers added that a week after the shooting, he received a threatening call and he is implementing new security measures in his home district.
“I’m a military guy, so I always take security pretty seriously. I try to pay attention to it, but clearly the environment’s changed,” he said. “There are a lot of angry people out there, and some of them might decide to do something dangerous and we all need to be ready for that. It’s a shame it’s come to that, but it is what it is.”