House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green barred GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from speaking further in a hearing after she called Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas a “liar” – a stunning example of how Greene’s extreme rhetoric led even members of her own party to shut her down, creating tensions inside the House GOP.
Greene, a Georgia Republican, began her time during Wednesday’s hearing by going after Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California, who had shown an Instagram photo of her calling to defund the FBI. Greene brought up an incident from several years ago, when Swalwell was targeted by a suspected Chinese intelligence operative as part of a broader effort to establish ties with US politicians. Swalwell cooperated with investigators and was never accused of any wrongdoing.
But Greene, without evidence, accused Swalwell of having an intimate relationship with the Chinese operative.
Immediately, Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman of New York moved to have those words removed from the record, calling them “completely inappropriate.” But the Republicans on the panel overruled and Greene refused to retract her comments.
When Greene began speaking again, she accused Mayorkas of letting fentanyl deaths occur and called him a “liar.”
When Mayorkas began to say, “Congresswoman, let me assure you that we’re not letting it go on,” Greene shot back with, “No, I reclaim my time. You’re a liar. You are letting this go on. And the numbers prove it.”
The top Democrat on the panel, Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, interjected, seeking to get Greene’s words taken down from the record for a second time. Even when given an opportunity to withdraw her remarks, Greene refused.
The panel’s Republican chairman then ruled that Greene could not speak the rest of the hearing.
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