Tempers are still boiling after a Georgia congressman insinuated fellow Republicans sinned for supporting an anti-discrimination measure designed to protect lesbians, gays, and transgender people.
According to The Hill newspaper, Rep. Rick Allen, R-Ga., ripped into his GOP colleagues during the party's weekly policy meeting Thursday. The publication cites several unnamed Republican attendees who described the "uncomfortable" confrontation which prompted a walkout.
"It was [expletive] ridiculous," a Republican lawmaker who supported the LGBT provision told The Hill.
The LGBT language, sponsored by Rep. Sean Maloney, D-N.Y., was written to bolster President Barack Obama's executive order forbidding federal contractors from discriminating against gay, lesbian, and transgender people. Forty-three Republicans joined Democrats to support the measure.
Although the provision passed, 223-195, it was attached to a spending bill that ultimately was scuttled by Republicans who opposed the LGBT amendment.
"House Republicans' thirst to discriminate against the LGBT community is so strong that they are willing to vote down their own appropriations bill in order to prevent progress over bigotry," Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a statement.
At Thursday's policy meeting, Rep. Allen singled out the 43 crossover Republicans during a prayer.
"I thought the comments were wildly out of bounds and especially inappropriate given that this was supposed to be a prayer," Republican Rep. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, who supported the provision, told The Washington Post.
CBN News attempted to reach Rep. Allen for comment but his Washington, D.C., office was not accepting incoming calls or messages.
According to several media reports, the verses the freshman lawmaker quoted were from Romans 1:18-32, which include teaching on homosexuality, envy, murder, and children disobedient to their parents. Rep. Allen reportedly referenced another passage from Revelation 22.
Allen was elected to Congress to represent southeastern Georgia in 2014. His official congressional biography states that he is a member of Trinity on the Hill United Methodist Church in Augusta, Georgia.