Global Courant 2023-04-26 04:19:33
They called them “green on green” attacks in Afghanistan. Then the Afghan police fought with local military forces.
On Capitol Hill it was recently ‘Green on Greene’.
“Green” is Representative Mark Green, R-Tenn., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. “Greene” is Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., member of the House Homeland Security Committee.
And late last week, “Green” finally had enough of “Greene” during a hearing with Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.
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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. (J. Scott Applewhite)
You may not have heard much about Mayorkas’ testimony because of a parliamentary row.
It started when it was Greene’s time to ask Mayorkas questions, seconds after Representative Eric Swalwell, R-Calif., finished his questions. Swalwell wasted some of his time asking about GOP demands to cut funding for the FBI.
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Greene looked across the stage at Swalwell with a smile.
“That was quite entertaining for someone who was having a sexual relationship with a Chinese spy. And everyone knows that,” Greene said, flashing her teeth, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
That has long been a right-wing accusation against Swalwell, but no one has ever substantiated the claim.
April 18, 2023: DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security. (Screenshot)
Several years ago, Chinese intelligence agent Fang Fang targeted American politicians. Fang helped raise money for Swalwell in 2014. Swalwell’s office says he passed information about Fang to the FBI and cut ties with her. The FBI placed Fang under surveillance and presented Swalwell with a “defensive” briefing on Fang.
After Greene’s accusation, Rep. Dan Goldman, DN.Y., immediately “record her words.”
“Writing out words” on the House or in committee is the equivalent of a parliamentary indictment. A member may flag a fellow member’s conduct or “words” that do not conform to the rules of the House, engage in proper decency, bring dishonor to body, or question the motives or character of a co-legislator.
“Totally inappropriate!” shouted Goldman.
Mark Green stopped the hearing immediately.
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The full House or committee then assesses the language in question. If they have broken the rules, the offending member will have a chance to withdraw them and continue.
But Greene was having none of it.
Representative Daniel Goldman called for MTG’s words to be removed from the report. (Reuters)
Green asked Greene if she would retract her broadside Swalwell.
“No, I don’t,” Greene replied.
Despite the weight of such a shocking claim – made by one legislator and addressed to another at a public hearing – the committee ruled that Greene’s conduct was appropriate. That meant Greene could keep talking. The panel would have silenced Greene for the rest of the day had they deemed her Philippic out of commission. It’s kind of like a player being ejected from a baseball game. They can’t play for the rest of the day.
So Greene stayed on the field.
Note that House Democrats who voted in majority two years ago to remove Greene from her committee assignments for her behavior.
“I don’t think there is any doubt about what the kind lady said (is inappropriate),” complained Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., top Democrat on the panel. “We have never had such an accusation from a member before and I am appalled. We should all be ashamed of it.”
Since the committee did not approve Greene, she seemed emboldened and tore into Mayorkas.
Representative Eric Swalwell, a Democrat from California. (Al Drago)
“How many more people should we see die in America every day?” Greene said to Mayorkas, slapping the stage with an open palm several times. “You are a liar!”
Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, R-Tex., found himself taking the place of Green, chairman of the committee. That’s when Thompson raised issues with McCaul about Greene berating Mayorkas.
“You don’t have to call a witness a liar,” Thompson said.
He also asked that the committee “re-write” Greene’s words.
“We’ve gotten to the point where the language isn’t the kind of language this committee would use,” Thompson said.
McCaul again offered Greene the opportunity to withdraw her inflammatory allegations.
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“I will not retract my comments because the facts show the evidence,” defiant Greene said.
“Okay,” said a resigned McCaul. At that point, Chairman Mark Green returned to oversee the hearing.
Representative Mark Green, a Republican from Tennessee. (Susan Walsh)
“The rules state that it is quite clear that you are not allowed to challenge someone’s character,” said the chairman. “Identifying someone or calling someone a liar is unacceptable in this committee. And I decide that we delete those words.”
With that, Green tapped the gavel. That censored Greene’s allegations against Mayorkas and banned her from further questioning for the rest of the hearing.
Goldman asked the chairman for clarification on what just unfolded. But Greene interrupted.
“Personal Investigation?” Greene asked, her tone superficial compared to her verbal fusillade fired at Mayorkas earlier. “Point of personal inquiry?
“There’s no such thing,” Goldman replied — which is true when it comes to house rules.
“In consulting the rules of the house, when we (words) strike, the time of the person who was speaking ends,” Green said. “So the friendly lady is no longer recognized.”
Green then turned over to Representative Glenn Ivey, D-Md., to question Mayorkas.
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However, Ivey and Goldman then sought clarification on Green’s decision to suspend Greene from speaking.
Marjorie Taylor Greene sends a message to Eric Adams megaphone in hand ahead of Trump’s arraignment (Oliya Scootercaster (FreedomNewsTV))
The chairman announced that according to the rules of the House a member may accuse someone of “lying”. But you can’t call them “liars”. That’s because Article 1 and Article 4 of House Rule XVII prohibits attacking one’s character and motive.
But Ivey was not pleased, even though Green expelled the Georgia Republican from the hearing.
“I can’t imagine a statement worse than the one she just made,” Ivey countered.
“It does not fit with the rules according to the chairman’s statement,” said Groen. “We’ll have the secretary until about 1:30 p.m. and then we’ll continue.”
And therein lies the problem that attacks Greene Mayorkas – whether he deserves criticism or not.
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A group of House Republicans hopes to impeach Mayorkas. Mark Green suggested the hearing was part of a process to deliver a “package” on Mayorkas’ file to Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. It would then be up to Jordan to launch an impeachment inquiry into Mayorkas. It is far from clear whether the Judiciary Committee has the votes to draft articles of impeachment for Mayorkas. It is even less clear that Republicans would ever attempt to floor Mayorkas due to the narrow GOP majority. Republicans would likely miss the vote.
The chairman said he would talk to Greene about her behavior. Other Republicans indicated that while they did not lose love for Mayorkas, they did not appreciate Greene’s lack of civility.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas speaks during a hearing with the Senate Homeland Security Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on April 18, 2023 in Washington, DC. Mayorkas testified on the Department of Homeland Security’s budget request for fiscal year 2024, answering questions on a range of topics, including the northern and southern borders of the US. (Anna Geldmaker)
There wasn’t much coverage of Mayorkas’ testimony or problems at the border. That’s because in the age of social media, the loudest voices get the most attention. It is often volume over substance.
Mark Green, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, and Republicans on that panel wanted to investigate Mayorkas’ history across the border from last week. There was certainly something in that.
But Greene’s performance sidetracked that conversation.
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Mark Green may have finally silenced Marjorie Taylor Greene at the hearing. But she was far from silent. People may not have heard of Mayorkas. But they’ve definitely heard of Greene.
Chad Pergram is currently senior congressional correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in September 2007 and is based in Washington, DC
