WASHINGTON — In the same week he called migrant workers "wetbacks" in an interview, Rep. Don Young suggested that drinking alone was the best way to curb domestic violence.
At a "Choose Respect" rally against domestic violence at the state Capitol in Juneau, Alaska, on Thursday, Young said that violence in the home could be reduced if only couples would "watch the alcohol and drugs," according to a report in the Anchorage Daily News.
Young, in office since 1973, has made the news over the years for malapropisms and worse. On Thursday, he addressed a Choose Respect noon rally at the Capitol in Juneau and appeared to advise people to drink alone to reduce the risk of domestic violence.
"Watch the alcohol and the drugs," Young said from a podium on the Capitol steps. "You look at the relationship between violence against the loved ones you love, [it] is usually related to either one of those. And I'm going to suggest for those that may be drinking together — stop it! If you want to drink by yourself, you may do it. But when you drink together, the possibility of harm becomes greater every day."
House Speaker John Boehner scolded Young on Friday for his "wetbacks" comment, calling it "offensive and beneath the dignity of the office he holds."
"I don't care why he said it — there's no excuse, and it warrants an immediate apology," Boehner said.