(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) Democrats heaped praise onto Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, for his strength and endurance after doing a 9-hour fast to protest the lack of national heat standards for factory workers.
So grateful for leaders like @GregCasar who believe in fighting with all they've got for the rights of the people they represent. https://t.co/phSEEf3l0f
— Wendy Davis (@wendydavis) July 26, 2023
“9 hours without water or food, but I’m more energized than ever to get this done,” Casar posted.
Accompanying the grandstanding Democrat during his tribulations were several female nurses, who anointed him with water, mopped his furrowed brow and monitored his vital signs throughout the day lest he become critically imperiled, according to the Daily Wire.
However, conservatives mocked Casar for what he perceived as a feat of immense strength.
“I did that last night from 10:45 till 7 this morning,” said one Twitter user.
I did that last night from 10:45 till 7 this morning.
— Polybius Champion🐂💨 (@PolybiusChamp) July 26, 2023
“I hear tomorrow you’re going to go nearly 17 hours without sleep,” another joked.
“Is he sure he wants communism if he can only go 9 hours without food?” another asked.
Conservative commentator Matt Walsh called the stunt one of the “funniest things any American politician has ever done” in a tweet responding to Casar’s post.
“This is a real picture that he posted of himself being attended to by three people as he attempted to go nine hours without eating, or roughly the time from an early lunch to a late dinner,” Walsh added.
This is a real picture that he posted of himself being attended to by three people as he attempted to go nine hours without eating, or roughly the time from an early lunch to a late dinner pic.twitter.com/HZ2Dauo1xI
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) July 27, 2023
Many other users also pointed to the recent trend in intermittent fasting, which often involves people fasting for at least 20 hours at a time.
Casar protested a state-level law he claimed banned water breaks for Texas workers.
The law does not ban water breaks, but does prevent the cities of Texas from creating rules that contradict state law.
“Ensuring the safety of Texas is a top priority as our state experiences high summer heat,” a spokesperson from Gov. Greg Abbott’s office explained. “This law maintains the federal Occupation Safety and Health Administration’s standards to keep workers safe and will not inhibit people from taking water breaks.”
Despite the fact that the law will not prohibit workers from taking water breaks, several cities are banding together to sue the state over the bill, which they dubbed the “Death Star Bill.”
