A Republican congressman apparently hit a nerve in House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., during Friday’s debate on a bill to secure the border. She interrupted his speech and chased him down afterwards.
The brouhaha began when Rep. Tom Marino, R-Pa., noted that Democrats were aware that security was becoming an issue at the Southern border when they controlled both chambers of Congress, yet they failed to act, according to The Hill. Said Marino:
Under the leadership of their former leader, when in 2009 and 2010, they had the House, the Senate and the White House, and they knew this problem existed. They didn’t have the strength to go after it back then. But now are trying to make a political issue out of it.
Pelosi sprang from her seat and marched over to the Republican side of the chamber to confront Marino. It’s unclear what she said, but at that point Marino addressed her directly.
“It’s true, madam leader, I did the research on it,” Marino said. “You might want to try it. You might want to try it, madam leader. Do the research on it. Do the research. I did it. That’s one thing that you don’t do.”
At one point, C-SPAN switched to a wide-angle camera for a few seconds to show Pelosi moving to confront Marino.
The expressions on the faces of the GOP House members seated behind Marino — Reps. Ted Poe, Joe Barton and Kay Granger, all from Texas — speak volumes. They range from shock to amusement.
When Marino finished, C-SPAN once again switched to a wide-angle camera to show Pelosi briskly walking to the opposite side of the chamber again, this time with her finger wagging in the air.
Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., can be heard saying off-camera, “what is she doing?” The Hill reported.
Watch the action below.
Marino and Pelosi spoke afterwards, and later that evening Marino took to Twitter:
Rep. Pelosi called me an ‘insignificant person’ on the Floor of the House. I’ll ponder that for a while driving to Williamsport tonight…
— Rep. Tom Marino (@RepTomMarino) August 2, 2014
…of course I’ll be driving myself, with no staff or security. And I’m just a country lawyer who worked in a bakery until he was 30…
— Rep. Tom Marino (@RepTomMarino) August 2, 2014
…so maybe I am not significant enough to question the former Speaker. But why then did she get so bothered by my comments?
— Rep. Tom Marino (@RepTomMarino) August 2, 2014
Former Florida Congressman Allen West added his own congratulations to Marino in the form of this hat tip:
H/T to @RepTomMarino for causing that little Pelosi meltdown on the House floor. She just can't handle the truth. http://t.co/k0X2lAuvcF
— Allen West (@AllenWest) August 2, 2014
The bill being debated would increase National Guard funding and fast-track the return of of illegal immigrant minors to their country of origin. It was approved 223-189.
