Sen. Orrin Hatch’s (R-UT) statement to Politico that Republicans had “shot their wad on healthcare,” shocked many on social media, who interpreted the phrase as out-of-character sexual innuendo from the 83-year-old president pro tempore of the Senate.
Apparently, though, he was talking about muskets.
So says Hatch’s office, which tweeted the following on Monday:
As few of you were alive during the Civil War, here's a valuable jargon lesson on "wads" and the shooting of them. https://t.co/dOYvcfgImO pic.twitter.com/wk9aaNb3s2
— Senator Hatch Office (@senorrinhatch) August 7, 2017
In his original statement, Hatch was attempting to dismiss any discussion of returning to health care reform as Republicans move on to the next item on their agenda: tax reform. “We’re not going back to health care. We’re in tax now. As far as I’m concerned, they shot their wad on health care and that’s the way it is. I’m sick of it,” Hatch said to Politico last Wednesday, though published Monday.
Instead of suggesting that Republicans had wasted an opportunity to repeal Obamacare via a reference to Civil War-era muskets, it appeared to many that Hatch was referencing a common slang term for ejaculation.
Despite the clarification from Hatch’s office, many on Twitter made fun of the comment:
Very much looking forward to Wad Twitter
— Christopher Ingraham (@_cingraham) August 7, 2017
I think I speak for all 7.4 billion people alive today in saying nobody wants to hear Orrin Hatch talk about shooting his wad. https://t.co/uMbbdIX6L6
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) August 7, 2017
Shooting one's wad, explanation from US Senator.
— Bob Brigham (@BobBrigham) August 7, 2017
Hatch's take is both accurate & obsolete, but may have been fact when he first went to DC https://t.co/qfP8jvoWDX