A fight nearly broke out during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, or HELP, committee hearing on Tuesday after Senator Markwayne Mullin read aloud a union boss’s tweet snubbing the freshman Oklahoma congressman as a “clown” and a “fraud.”
“Sir, this is a time, this is a place, if you want to run your mouth we can be two consenting adults and finish it here,” Mullin said.
“OK, that’s fine. Perfect,” responded International Brotherhood of Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien.
“You want to do it now?” Mullin asked. “Stand you butt up then.”
“You stand your butt up, big guy,” retorted O’Brien.
Senator Bernie Sanders narrowly defused the fight after Mullin rose out of his chair, slamming his gavel while calling the committee to order.
“You’re a United States senator, sit down,” boomed Sanders. “This is a hearing. God knows the American people have enough contempt for Congress.”
Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin @SenMullin just stood up and tried to fight labor leader Sean O’Brien @TeamsterSOB at a Senate Help Committee hearing after reading his tweet where O’Brien says he’d take him “any time, any place.” pic.twitter.com/8oiPSNZJV8
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) November 14, 2023
Moments later, the senator posted a photo of himself before a table of guns, captioned, “Let’s do it. Anyplace, anytime.”
Let’s do it. Anyplace, anytime. @ComfortablySmug https://t.co/VIoQXJiEPh pic.twitter.com/oUuOxDTvxX
— Markwayne Mullin (@SenMullin) November 14, 2023