In
an unusual breach of decorum, even for the divided Congress, House
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi chased Rep. Tom Marino across the House
floor, taking offense at comments by the Pennsylvania Republican during
debate on the border funding bill Friday night.
“We don’t have law and order,” Marino began as he wrapped up his
comments on the border supplemental. “My colleagues on the other side
don’t want to do anything about it.”
“You know something that I find quite interesting about the other side?
Under the leadership of the former Speaker [Pelosi], and under the
leadership of their former leader [Rep. Steny Hoyer], when in 2009 and
2010, they had the House, the Senate and the White House, and they knew
this problem existed,” he continued. “They didn’t have the strength to
go after it back then. But now are trying to make a political issue out
of it now.”
Off-mic, Pelosi then approached Marino, crossing the aisle in view of
cameras, and apparently challenged Marino’s assertion that Democrats
did not do anything about the issue when they had majority control.
“Yes it is true,” Marino replied directly to Pelosi, who was House
speaker in those years. “I did the research on it. 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.”
Marino then urged lawmakers to support the border supplemental “because
apparently I hit the right nerve.”
After Marino concluded his remarks and as many Republicans applauded
their colleague, Pelosi crossed the chamber again in view of cameras,
enraged, pointing and sticking her finger at Marino.
She then followed Marino
up a Republican aisle, gesturing and arguing
with him. Lawmakers on the GOP side gathered in dismay as one spoke out
to tell the chair that the House was not in order, in an effort to halt
the bickering.
Pelosi finally relented after Republicans tried to get between Pelosi
and Marino, and she returned to the Democratic side of the chamber. The
House then promptly voted to approve the $694 million border
supplemental, 223-189.
*ABC
NEWS UPDATE:
According to Pelosi spokeswoman Evangeline George, “Leader Pelosi just
wanted to remind the Congressman that House Democrats had the courage
to pass the DREAM Act – and have the courage to stand up for what the
American people want: bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform.”
