Republican U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene ignited a heated confrontation during a budget bill hearing Wednesday by claiming that budgets have nothing to do with policy — a stance that top Democrats have long argued contradicts core American values. Her assertion drew an immediate rebuttal from one of the committee’s top Democrats, but Oversight Chairman James Comer jumped to Greene’s defense, attempting to cut off the correction and escalating the exchange into a shouting match, while mocking Democrats' efforts to preserve and honor American values.
After U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) made an impassioned plea to not cut the budget of the Veterans Administration, or Social Security, or Medicare in order to produce a $4 trillion tax cut largely for the wealthy — a top Trump priority — Congresswoman Greene lashed out.
"I'd like to point something out that our Democrat colleagues know this, because they did reconciliation before when they are they were in charge and, you know, it may be hard for some of the freshman Dems to understand, but this is not a policy debate," the Georgia Republican alleged. "That's not what reconciliation is. This is a budget process."
"And so for the American people watching at home, our Democrat colleagues are sitting here trying to score points and spread more lies and divisiveness about Republicans in order to spread more garbage across the country," she charged, calling Democrats' pleas "entertainment."
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That's when U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, a Massachusetts Democrat in Congress for nearly a quarter century and possibly next in line for Ranking Member of the Oversight Committee, slammed Greene's interpretation of the Committee's work.
"Mr. Chairman, I just want to say, our federal budget reflects our values," Lynch declared, a statement many budget experts would affirm, and one that has been by President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
"When we fund the VA," Lynch continued, "it's not just about numbers. It's about, it's about the mission, and the purpose of our budget."
Chairman Comer appeared to grow angry.
"You do understand our federal budget is $2.5 trillion?" Comer declared, appearing to suggest details like how much spent on veterans was not worth the Committee's time. "We can't have 'values'," Comer insisted, with the amount of debt the federal government is carrying.
"Reclaiming my time — you don't get to just interject, Mr. Chairman," Lynch charged.
You know what? I think you've already spoken, so you're out of order," Comer declared, hitting his desk with his gavel.
"I will speak," Lynch, now heated, told the Chair. "You're about to put our country $4 trillion more than debt."
"I don't think you all could find a billion dollars in savings," Comer alleged.
"Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time. Reclaiming my time," Lynch again declared.
"You can talk all you want. I want everyone in America to see how much — " Comer snapped.
"Mr. Chairman. You're out of order. You're out of order. You're the chairman, you're out of order," Lynch again charged.
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"Now, without interruption," Lynch continued, "what we decide here in the budget is what I'm the point I'm trying to make is it's not just dollars and cents. It's about where, where that money goes, and what, what purposes and what, what priorities it reflects. And those, you know, governing is about making decisions, and we we choose to fund things that in this country, we have honored for a very long time, and that, you know, I have to say, in my 25 years in Congress, we have had very little disagreement on funding veteran benefits."
Lynch went on to lament that "now we're fighting tooth and tongs — and nail — about whether we're gonna lay off 80,000 employees at the VA. What I'm saying is that, sure, it's about the budget, but underlying that budget is is our priorities as a country. What we consider to be worthwhile . And I feel that veterans' benefits are worthwhile. Veterans, healthcare is worthwhile. The way we treat our federal employees is important. It is intrinsic to be the work of the federal government and how we help the most vulnerable, as well as, you, average everyday Americans on Social Security, on Medicaid."
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