House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) on Thursday blamed several “repeat violators of decorum” for last week’s raucous contempt hearing at the Capitol.
“It’s very unfortunate. This wasn’t the first time, and I hope it’s the last,” Comer told CNN. He went on to add, “All members who have repeatedly violated manners have been summoned, and I hope that something like this will not happen in the future.”
Georgia Republican Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D. -Texas) wears ‘fake eyelashes.’ Crockett appeared to fire back at Greene, calling her a “bleach blonde badass butch body.”
“You can’t get into character,” Comer said while explaining the incident on CNN. “Unfortunately, that’s what happened in the last committee hearing as well. “Rep. Greene’s remarks (on the record) were shocking, and I think Rep. Crockett also made some very inappropriate comments,” he said.
The chaos at the oversight hearing began when Greene asked whether any Democrat on the panel was hiring the daughter of Judge Juan Mercan, who is overseeing former President Trump’s hush trial in Manhattan. Republicans have repeatedly targeted Merchant’s daughter, who works at a progressive digital agency.
Crockett asked, “Tell me what that has to do with Merrick Garland?” “Do you know why we came here?”
“I don’t think you know why you’re here.” Greene answered. “I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you’re reading.”
Democrats immediately condemned Greene’s remarks in response to Ocasio-Cortez’s comments, with Ocasio-Cortez shouting “that’s disgusting” and calling her comments “absolutely unacceptable.”
Ocasio-Cortez, Greene and Crockett swung back and forth, with other lawmakers occasionally intervening and taking jabs at opposing sides.
At one point, Crockett asked whether her hypothetical remarks, which appeared to be a jab at Greene, would violate congressional protocol.
Comer noted Thursday that the committee hearing was a “very important hearing” that was “disrupted by a few unfortunate noises.”
After the confusion, the Oversight Committee eventually voted 24-20 to hold Garland in contempt of Congress, part of an effort to rebuke Garland for failing to turn over an audio recording of President Biden’s phone call with Special Counsel Robert Huh.
Comer appeared on CNN on Wednesday to discuss legislation with Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) that would require the president to make a series of disclosures about his relatives’ foreign earnings.
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