"Please tell me what that has to do with Merrick Garland?"
A House Oversight Committee meeting descended into chaos recently, due to personal attacks and arguments, which overshadowed the main topic of discussing a resolution to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress.
Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene asked at the Thursday meeting, “I want to know if any Democrats on the committee are employing Judge Juan Merchan's daughter,” referring to the judge handling Donald Trump's hush money trial. Former President Trump and other Republicans alleged that Judge Merchan is too biased and mentioned that his daughter has worked for Democrats. Rep Jasmine Crockett, a freshman member of the Oversight Committee, responded to the question saying, “Please tell me what that has to do with Merrick Garland?”
The tension escalated when Ms Greene responded with, “I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you are reading.”
This brought on an immediate reaction from Democrat leader Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who demanded Ms Greene apologise for her comment and for her statement to be stricken off.
“How dare you attack the physical appearance of another person,” Ms Ocasio-Cortez exclaimed, adding it was “absolutely unacceptable.”
The hearing then descended into chaos, with Committee Chairman James Comer struggling to regain control for about an hour, reports the Independent.
Ms Greene turned to the Democratic Rep, taunting her by asking, "Are your feelings hurt?" to which Ms Ocasio-Cortez responded, “Oh, girl? Baby girl. Don't even play."
Ms Greene retorted, “Why don't you debate me?” to which Ms Ocasio-Cortez responded, “I think it's gonna be self-evident.”
Ms Greene continued, “Yeah, you don't have enough intelligence.”
Committee Chair Comer intervened, asking Ms Greene if she agreed to unanimous consent to strike her words from the record. Ms Greene consented but refused to apologise. “You will never get an apology out of me,” she declared.
The situation further escalated when Jasmine Crockett sarcastically asked the ruling if commenting on someone's “bleach blonde, bad-built, butch body” would be permissible. “I'm just curious to better understand your ruling. If someone on this committee then starts talking about somebody's bleach blonde, bad built, butch body… that would not be engaging in personalities correct?” she questioned.
This remark left Mr Comer momentarily speechless, “Uh, a what now?”
Ms Crockett answered that she was “trying to get clarification.” “Y'all talk noise and then you can't take it, because if I come and talk s**t about her, y'all gonna have a problem,” she fumed.
Later, Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania compared the hearing to ‘The Jerry Springer Show' in a post on X. Ms Ocasio-Cortez responded saying that Mr Fetterman “likely would not have stood up for your colleague,” adding that “I stand up to bullies, instead of becoming one.” “And to the women of Pennsylvania: I'd stand up for you too,” she declared.
After the heated session, the committee voted 24-20 along party lines to suggest holding Merrick Garland in contempt.