Alaskan GOP Representative Says There’s Benefits To Child Abuse
By Nikki Slusher
If you weren’t sure how low the Republican Party will stoop, then this article will remind you. An Alaskan Republican legislator has sparked outrage over his remarks that questioned if the death of child abuse victims could be “a cost savings.” It gets much worse too. His reasoning of the cost-benefit analysis would mean the murdered child abuse victims wouldn’t need “government services” later on in life.
Republican David Eastman, who currently serves in the Alaska state House of Representatives, made the shocking statement on Monday during an Alaska House Judiciary Committee hearing. The committee was meeting to discuss “how children are impacted by physical or sexual abuse, as well as witnessing domestic violence within their family home” per Newsweek’s report. During the committee’s gathering lawmakers were given a presentation on a study that indicated the costs of each fatal child abuse incident on society were around $1.5 million. The seven figure number was reached based on assessments of the impact of the trauma and the loss of earnings affected children sustain over their lifetime.
Rep. Eastman was unamused by the study’s conclusions and proceeded to argue if fatal child abusers could be an economic benefit to society. Eastman claimed this is an argument he previously had heard. “It can be argued, periodically, that it’s actually a cost savings because that child is not going to need any of those government services that they might otherwise be entitled to receive and need based on growing up in this type of environment,” said Eastman.
Trevor Storrs, the president of the Alaska Children’s Trust (ACT), was horrified and hit back at Eastman’s response, as Storrs described the loss of a child as “unmeasurable.” Democratic Rep. Cliff Groh was “disturbed” by the comments. GOP Alaska Rep. Sarah Vance, who had invited Eastman to the committee’s hearing, told the Anchorage Daily News: “I wished that he asked questions with a little bit more sensitivity to the listeners and how they’re perceived, and I can have that conversation…But he’s there on his own accord and only represents himself.” She later tried to twist the argument by saying Eastman was attempting to make an argument against abortion which some consider as child abuse.
Rep. David Eastman is a former soldier who was re-elected in November 2022. Prior to this incident, a lawsuit was filed against Eastman to ban him from office due to his membership to the far-right wing paramilitary group the Oath Keepers. Although he was present in D.C. on January 6th, there’s no indication Eastman participated in the disturbances caused by fellow Oath Keepers. He initially condemned the acts but went on to promote conspiracy theories, including how the violence of that day may have been committed by Antifa. When contacted by outlets for comment, Eastman told reporters he stands by his remarks.
Eastman may not be in the U.S. House, but his remarks are important since he still holds a public office dedicated to governing an entire state. It’s another example of what Republicans really think, and how “pro-life” they actually are. There used to be a time where these kinds of statements would kill a politician’s career but I’m sure Eastman won’t even get spoken to. One way to save taxpayers money on government services is getting rid of this idiot so they don’t have to pay for his salary or healthcare insurance.
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