An Alaska state congressman is under fire for suggesting that the deaths of abused children could potentially present a “cost savings” opportunity.
Republican Rep. David Eastman, of Wasilla, faced criticism from either side of the aisle for his comments during a Monday afternoon meeting of the House Judiciary Committee, which featured a presentation from experts on Antagonistic Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
In response to a statistic that listed the lifetime cost of fatal child abuse at $1.5 million per victim, Eastman referred to a counterargument that the death of abused children is “actually a profit to society.”
“It will possibly be argued, periodically, that [fatal child abuse] actually a value savings because that child just isn’t going to wish any of those government services that they could otherwise be entitled to receive and wish based on growing up in this sort of environment,” he said.
Trevor Storrs, president and CEO of the Alaska Children’s Trust (ACT), who was presenting on the meeting, said he “was not even sure the best way to answer” Eastman’s query, and emphasized that the lack of a toddler was “hugely tragic” for each the family and the community.
Eastman’s comments immediately drew criticism from his fellow committee members, with Rep. Cliff Groh (D-Anchorage), who previously prosecuted child abuse cases, saying he was “disturbed” by the query.
Rep. Andrew Gray (D-Anchorage) also became emotional when recounting his experience adopting a toddler through foster care who had several adversarial childhood experiences.
Though he acknowledged that Eastman may not have intended to cause offense, Gray said his callous remark implied that his child was higher off dead.
”I might just say for me personally, my child is the best joy I’ve ever had,” he said.
House Judiciary Committee Chair Rep. Sarah Vance (R-Homer) thanked Gray for sharing his story, but neither she nor Eastman apologized.
In a statement to the Anchorage Day by day News, she later said that Eastman must have asked his query about cost advantages “with a bit bit more sensitivity.”
The outlet noted that Eastman, a hardline conservative known for his uncompromising stances, was denied entry to the Republican House majority caucus and thus was not entitled to committee membership.
“He’s [on the Judiciary Committee] at my invitation,” Vance said.
“But he’s there on his own accord and only represents himself.”
Each Vance and Eastman are anti-abortion, and Vance guessed that her colleague can have been attempting to bring the pro-life argument into the conversation.
“One in every of the arguments for abortion has been that it’s higher to terminate that child’s life before they grow to be a burden to society,” she told the ADN.
Vance later told the outlet via text message that “it might be unlucky to proceed to focus on this one member fairly than give attention to the importance of the content provided to the committee and our desire to strengthen families.”
Vance’s interest in distracting from Eastman’s gaffe was shared by committee member Rep. Ben Carpenter, who wrote in an email to the ADN that “Rep. Eastman’s comments are his own.”
“[Eastman] is entitled to his opinion and I won’t be distracted by one member’s query and can as a substitute remain focused on the necessary work of the legislature,” the Nikiski Republican commented.
In accordance with the Anchorage Day by day News, other House Republicans said they were “appalled” by Eastman’s questions, but refused to go on the record.
Commenters on social media were also quick to call Eastman out, with several writing scathing critiques of his comments under the video of the meeting that was shared on his official Facebook page.
“Something is seriously fallacious with any human who sees a positive in abused children dying by the hands of their abuser,” one viewer wrote, while one other said he clearly had “no empathy for other humans.”
Trevor Storrs, for his part, told the ADN on Tuesday that he would give Eastman’s comments the good thing about the doubt, and said that the representative also asked about spending more on child abuse prevention.
When reached by text by the outlet, Eastman himself said that, while he was “pleased” with ACT’s advocacy, “ a toddler’s value comes not from future productivity, but from the undeniable fact that every child is made within the image of God.”
The events of this are hardly Eastman’s first brush with controversy. Shortly after he defeated an incumbent GOP candidate in 2016, he was censured for claiming that rural women were attempting to get pregnant to secure “a free trip to the town” for an abortion.
He also faced a Dec. 2022 civil suit that attempted to oust him resulting from his role within the Jan. 6 rebel and membership within the far-right Oath Keepers group.
“If anyone comes along and desires to destroy the constitutional structure of Alaska, they shouldn’t be elected to the Legislature,” nonagenarian Vic Fischer, the last surviving delegate of Alaska’s Nineteen Fifties constitutional convention, told POLITICO of the week-long trial, which ultimately did not remove Eastman from office.
Even before the judge ruled in his favor, Eastman himself showed no remorse on the stand.
“Any organization that can assist us in supporting and defending the Structure is an asset to this country,” he said of the Oath Keepers, whose leader was convicted of seditious conspiracy last fall for his own role within the Jan. 6 plot.
Rep. Eastman, Trevor Storrs, and Rep. Vance didn’t immediately reply to The Post’s comment requests.
