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Marjorie Taylor Greene calls Homeland Security Secretary a 'liar'
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., in a hearing before the Homeland Security Committee, called Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, which resulted in the committee silencing her.
The head of the Homeland Security Committee moved to silence Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., after accusing a colleague of having an extramarital affair and calling the Homeland Security Secretary a 'liar."
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testified before the Homeland Security Committee Wednesday to defend the Biden administration’s budget proposal. During his questioning of Mayorkas, Swalwell slammed Greene for selling merchandise calling to "Defund the FBI" and called on lawmakers to "elevate our rhetoric."
Greene then brought up Swalwell's former ties to suspected Chinese spy Christine Fang, also known as Fang Fang, which were first reported in 2020.
"That was quite entertaining from someone that had a sexual relationship with a Chinese spy, and everyone knows it," Greene said. "But thanks for entertaining—"
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, during a House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. The hearing is titled "Investigating the Origins of COVID-19, …
Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., interjected, requesting that Greene’s comment be stricken from the record and that she be prevented from speaking any further.
"Completely inappropriate," Goldman said.
"A motion has been made," Mark Green, R-Tenn., the committee’s chairman, said. "The committee will suspend, and the gentleman will state the words that he wishes taken down. "
"Everything that the gentle lady from Georgia has said," Goldman responded.
"No, you need to be more specific," Green replied.
"Accusations of an affair with a Chinese spy," Goldman said. "Those are engaging in personalities, and those words should be taken down, and the gentle lady should not be able to speak anymore in this hearing."
U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., is pictured in Manhattan on Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. (Theodore Parisienne/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Axios reported in 2020 that Christina Fang, an operative for China’s Ministry of State Security, got close to Swalwell before his election to Congress in 2012, and that she maintained her closeness with Swalwell after his election, even working on his reelection campaign in 2014, and placing an intern in his office. Axios reported that Swalwell cut ties with Fang after the FBI's briefing and is not accused of any wrongdoing.
"The latter part of that is not an appropriate motion," Green responded, "but we will evaluate the striking of those words. Give me just a second."
After giving Greene a chance to retract her comments and her saying, "No, I will not," Green ruled that the comments would not be stricken from the record.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., appealed the ruling, saying he was "appalled" and "embarrassed" by Greene’s words.
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 25: U.S. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) speaks at a press conference on committee assignments for the 118th U.S. Congress, at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 25, 2023 in Washington, DC. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) recently …
The motion was eventually tabled, and Greene was permitted to continue her questioning of Mayorkas.
In her questioning of Mayorkas, Greene raised her voice when talking about fentanyl.
"China is poisoning America's children... how long are you going to let this go on?" Greene said.
Secretary Mayorkas began, "Congresswoman, I assure you that we are not letting this go on."
But Greene interrupted, saying "No, I reclaim my time, you're a liar. You are letting this go on."
Shortly after, a Democratic committee member moved to 'take down' Greene's comments.
Committee Chairman Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., agreed, apparently not realizing that 'taking down' comments is not the same as 'striking' comments from the record.
While the latter would have allowed her to continue to question Mayorkas, the former meant that Greene was no longer recognized to speak at the hearing.
Rep. Green did say that calling a witness a liar was out of bounds in a congressional committee hearing.
FOX News contributed to this report.