Foxx: Health bill a greater threat than any terrorist

Americans face a greater threat from health reform legislation than any terrorist, one GOP congresswoman said Monday.

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) suggested during a speech on the House floor that the healthcare reform bill expected to be taken up this week in the House should strike fear into the hearts of people in the U.S.

"I believe that the greatest fear that we all should have to our freedom comes from this room -- this very room -- and what may happen later this week in terms of a tax increase bill masquerading as a health care bill," Foxx said this afternoon.

"I believe we have more to fear from the potential of that bill passing than we do from any terrorist right now in any country," she added.

The North Carolina lawmaker's remarks were first flagged by the liberal watchdog group Media Matters Action Network.

Foxx's claim comes after Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) suggested Friday that the debate over health reform is more important than the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S.

House conservatives have been ramping up their rhetoric and efforts to oppose the health bill this week, including encouraging constituents to flock en masse to the Capitol on Thursday to encourage lawmakers to vote against the plan.

Update, 4:40 p.m.: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Southern regional press secretary Jesse Ferguson comments:

"Representative Foxx believes that reducing health care costs for consumers is a greater danger to Americans than terrorists? It is outrageous that a representative of our nation that was hit by terrorists would have the gall to claim that Americans reducing their health care costs is a greater threat.  The question is: Does Virginia Foxx's leadership agree with this Republican extreme right wing ideology?"

Watch the video of the speech below: