New York Democratic Rep. Max Rose and North Carolina Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx clashed on the House floor when he broke House rules and directly attacked her and GOP colleagues rather than address the presiding officer.
During floor debate over an amendment related to an infrastructure bill Wednesday, Rose, 33, criticized the proposal. “I’m dumbfounded. You’re aware that this conversation is in public, so I won’t put words in your mouth, but I will use your own words. You say today that you don’t want to consolidate wealth amongst the few,” he said.
“What do you think your tax scam did?” he continued, referencing the Republican-backed tax cut legislation from 2017. “This is about workers. You say you’re worried about deficit spending. Hallelujah! You weren’t worried about deficit spending when it came to endless wars. You weren’t worried about deficit spending when it came to a tax scam.”
“This conversation is in public!” he said. “You don’t get to go back to districts now and say you are on the side of workers. But whose side are you on?”
“So today, out in public, you reveal yourselves to be the hypocrites that you are!” he stated, adding, “We’re going to make sure that people remember this.”
At that point, Foxx, 77, interjected, demanding Rose’s words be stricken from the record, as he directed his attack toward individual members and not the chairwoman.
“Madam Speaker, I ask for the gentleman’s words to be taken down! I am not a hypocrite.”
Rose shot back, “With all due respect, ma’am, you are.”
Foxx exclaimed to the chairwoman in disbelief that Rose broke House rules again: “Madam Speaker!”
Rose amended his remarks for the record instead.
“I would like to amend my remarks to say my colleagues across the aisle are being especially hypocritical today,” Rose said to the House chairwoman. “I did not mean any disrespect if I caused that.”
