'Can you shut him up?' House Democrats clash with Bessent in fiery hearing
Source: ABC News
February 4, 2026, 6:45 PM
House Democrats clashed with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday during a fiery hearing on Capitol Hill that devolved into shouting matches and throwing sharp elbows.
"Can you shut him up?" Rep. Maxine Waters of California, the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, at one point asked Chairman Rep. French Hill of Arkansas as Bessent repeatedly spoke over her question and ignored her repeated "reclaiming my time" declarations.
"Can you maintain some level of dignity," Bessent hit back. Waters and Bessent were going back and forth over President Donald Trump's tariffs, particularly on home building goods. Throughout the hearing, which was to be focused on the annual report from the Financial Stability Oversight Council, which monitors the stability of the U.S. financial systems, Democrats made the same "reclaiming my time" declaration as Waters.
Another tense exchange came during Massachusetts' Rep. Stephen Lynch's questioning of Bessent on a slowdown in investigations into corporations, asking if that concerned the secretary. As Bessent began to blame the Biden administration, Lynch interjected: "Please be responsive to my question."
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/shut-house-democrats-clash-bessent-fiery-hearing/story?id=129859858
Skittles
(170,473 posts)seriously
barbtries
(31,252 posts)i can't think of the other guy who might be the grinning idiot.
anyhow. you're right.
lonely bird
(2,851 posts)He, Bessent, Nutlick and Navarro are the four horsemen of the economic apocalypse.
Katinfl
(688 posts)barbtries
(31,252 posts)I could not recall his name but that's the one.
interesting how russell vought is never in front of the cameras even though he's probably the 2nd most powerful person in the krasnov administration, after stephen miller.
Also one of the authors of Project 2025.
Thus he is a terrorist.
Skittles
(170,473 posts)he is another one
insufferable Trump humping assholes
wolfie001
(7,448 posts)Hilarious! Stupid voters that think the fat, racist, nazi-wannabee dictator was ever a savvy businessman
COL Mustard
(8,090 posts)After all, they voted for him enough to saddle the rest of us with him, twice.
cstanleytech
(28,337 posts)barbtries
(31,252 posts)for these asswipes that when they appear before congress their only 2 jobs are to 1. express total contempt toward the Democrats and 2. catapult the propaganda.
it is maddening.
BumRushDaShow
(167,749 posts)accept no responsibility for their actions.
barbtries
(31,252 posts)though that could be argued to be integral to catapulting the propaganda.
now we know what happens when the only criteria for being hired is fealty to the king. gw did some of this, but krasnov and company have elevated it to a dark art.
BumRushDaShow
(167,749 posts)"Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican."
barbtries
(31,252 posts)but, makes sense.
BumRushDaShow
(167,749 posts)when he was running for governor of California!
Skittles
(170,473 posts)it's all they have
Javaman
(65,466 posts)who sits in a 5 star restaurant, slow drinking a 500 dollar a glass of wine, while smugly looking out the front window at a starving homeless person straight in the eyes, never blinking.
delisen
(7,295 posts)All defenses are invoked by the powerful in power positions to claim powerlessness
Some Common Variations:
1. We (I) inherited a mess!
2. No one could have foreseen
..
3. We had (have) no choice
.
4. Mistakes happened
..
5. In the fog of war
6. It was the other guys fault (bogeyman defense).
GiqueCee
(3,716 posts)... someone is going to slap that smug smirk off that arrogant asshole's face. Can't wait to see it.
TBF
(36,161 posts)so entitled.
JudyM
(29,711 posts)Overpowered her voice with his bellowing then acted like he won.