Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) is no stranger to bad language, but this time she took her words to the next level.
During a congressional hearing on Thursday, the California congresswoman told Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) to “shut [his] mouth.”
Throughout the House Oversight coronavirus subcommittee hearing, Rep. Jordan and Dr. Anthony Fauci sparred over public health precautions and things got pretty heated, with both men impassionately raising their voices.
“As more and more people get vaccinated, and we get over 3 million people a day, you’re going to see the level of infection come down and down and gradually there will be more flexibility for doing the things that you’re talking about,” Fauci said.
Rep. Jordan, clearly irritated, posed a very important question.
“Where does it get to? When it comes down, what number do we get our liberties back?,” he asked. “Tell me the number.”
Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) responded: “When 90 percent of the members of Congress get vaccinated.”
“You’re not a doctor, Mr. Clyburn,” Jordan said. “He is. What is the number?”
When question time was over, Clyburn turned the spotlight over to Waters, but Jordan did not let up.
“I’d like my questions answered,” he said.
“Time expired, sir,” Waters snapped at him. “You need to respect the chair and shut your mouth.”
Trying to ease the situation, Clyburn said: "We’re going to handle this, and I think Mr. Jordan knows me very well. And he knows full well that we’re going to handle this.”
This isn’t the first time Fauci and Jordan have clashed over the pandemic, nor is it the first time Ms. Waters has used questionable language.
In August of 2019, Waters urged Americans to call on their representatives to ban assault weapons, writing on Twitter, “Demand the Members of Congress get rid of ALL assault weapons or kick our ass out of Congress!”
In January, Waters admitted that she threatens Trump supporters “all the time” while defending a comment she made in June that people should confront members of President Trump’s administration.
