Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma and a union leader nearly got into a brawl during a Senate Health Committee hearing Tuesday, prompting the intervention of Chairman Bernard Sanders as the hearing descended into schoolyard taunts and chaos.
“Sit down, sit down, you’re a United States senator!” Mr. Sanders, Vermont independent, shouted as Mr. Mullin stood up at the dais to confront the union leader.
The fiery and unusual exchange occurred after Mr. Mullin, a Republican, took exception to a series of tweets by Sean M. O’Brien, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, that challenged the senator to settle their differences at “any place, any time, cowboy.”
The pair had verbally sparred at a prior hearing over whether Mr. Mullin had built his company himself.
“You want to run your mouth. We can be two consenting adults, we can finish it here,” Mr. Mullin said.
“Ok, that’s fine, perfect,” Mr. O’Brien said.
“You want to do it now?” Mr. Mullin asked.
“I’d love to do it right now,” Mr. O’Brien replied.
“Stand your butt up then,” Mr. Mullin said.
“You stand your butt up,” Mr. O’Brien said.
The senator did stand, and appeared to move to take his wedding ring off, prompting an outcry from the chamber and rebuke by Mr. Sanders.
The chairman had to talk them down as the pair continued to bicker, during a dressing-down by Mr. Sanders.
“Hold on, stop it,” Mr. Sanders said. “Sit down.”
The hearing was held with the intention of proving how labor unions are improving the lives of the American people.
“This is a hearing,” Mr. Sander said. “And God knows the American people have enough contempt for Congress.”
Mr. Mullin called Mr. O’Brien a “thug,” prompting another back-and-forth about the politeness of pointing at each other. Mr. O’Brien said he wanted to have coffee with the senator, not fight him.
“We’re not here to talk about fights or anything else,” Mr. Sanders said.
The chairman downplayed the incident outside the hearing room.
“I know that you’re very interested in important issues facing the American working class,” he told reporters. “The issue and hearing was about massive income and wealth inequality.”
• Ramsey Touchberry contributed to this report.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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