The Senate saw fireworks of its own Tuesday as Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) brought a hearing about corporate greed to a standstill as he confronted one witness, stood up, and challenged him to a fistfight.
The breakdowns in decorum came on a day when lawmakers were laboring to avoid a government shutdown and make sure they can leave town ahead of an anticipated Thanksgiving break.
Joanne B. Freeman, a history and American studies professor at Yale University, who wrote a book detailing the history of violence in Congress, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Please stop providing fodder for Field of Blood volume two.”
The episode between Burchett and McCarthy was not captured on video but was witnessed by numerous reporters.
“Hey Kevin, why did you walk behind me and elbow me in the back?” Burchett asked as The Washington Post interviewed McCarthy. “You have no guts.”
“I didn’t do that,” McCarthy replied. As Burchett continued to yell, McCarthy laughed and said, “Oh my God.”
Burchett was among eight Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy as House speaker, a rebuke the California lawmaker has bitterly noted, publicly and privately.
“You are so pathetic,” Burchett said before slowing his steps to no longer be directly behind McCarthy.
“Thank you, Tim,” McCarthy said.
Afterward on CNN, Burchett said: “I got elbowed in the back and it kind of caught me off guard cause it was a clean shot to the kidneys.”
Burchett said he turned around “and there was Kevin.”
Moments later, Burchett said, “I chased after him of course,” before calling the former speaker “a bully with $17 million and a security detail.”
Burchett also said he was not likely to file a formal ethics complaint — because he expects McCarthy to lose reelection next year.
Over in the Senate, Mullin confronted Sean M. O’Brien, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, during a hearing titled “Standing Up Against Corporate Greed: How Unions are Improving the Lives of Working Families.”
Mullin, who says in his biography that he turned his family’s plumbing business into “the largest service company in the region,” began reading a June 21 social media post by O’Brien, questioning the lawmaker’s business acumen. The two had sparred previously over the senator’s biographical claims of business success.
“Greedy CEO who pretends like he’s self made,” Mullin read, quoting O’Brien’s post. “In reality, just a clown & fraud. Always has been, always will be. Quit the tough guy act in these Senate hearings. You know where to find me. Anyplace, Anytime cowboy.”
Mullin, then speaking to O’Brien, said, “Sir, this is a time and this is a place,” pointing his finger to the floor between the two men. “You want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults. We can finish it here.”
After O’Brien said that would be “perfect,” Mullin asked, “You want to do it now?”
“I’d love to do it right now,” O’Brien said as he sat the table where witnesses and guests routinely speak to lawmakers.
“Stand your butt up then,” Mullin shot back.
“You stand your butt up,” O’Brien responded.
After Mullin stood up, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the committee’s chairman, could be heard on video saying, “Stop it” and “sit down.”
Amid the cross talk, O’Brien could be heard saying, “Is that your solution?”
Sanders, imploring Mullin to sit down, said, “You’re a United States senator!”
