Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent engaged in a sharp and highly public exchange with Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., during a contentious Capitol Hill hearing Wednesday, culminating in Bessent pointedly asking whether the longtime congresswoman could “maintain some level of dignity.”
The heated moment came after Waters pressed Bessent to publicly oppose President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. Framing her question as a simple yes-or-no demand, Waters asked whether Bessent would act as “the voice of reason” within the administration and urge Trump to halt tariffs she claimed were harming American consumers, housing affordability, and the broader economy.
“So I ask you, Secretary Bessent, will you be the voice of reason in this administration and urge President Trump to stop waging a war on American consumers, harming housing affordability, and putting the economy at risk?” Waters asked. “Yes or no. You don’t have to explain.”
As Bessent began to respond, Waters quickly cut him off, making clear she had no intention of allowing a substantive answer. Each time Bessent attempted to elaborate, Waters talked over him, repeatedly demanding a yes-or-no response.
When Bessent tried to reference a study from Wharton University, Waters again interrupted, launching into a familiar refrain of “reclaiming my time,” which she repeated several times in rapid succession. She appealed to House Financial Services Committee Chairman Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., asking him to enforce her control over the clock.
Hill acknowledged that the time did indeed belong to Waters, even as Bessent made additional attempts to finish his answer. At one point, as Bessent began to reference the impact on “ten to 20 million Americans,” Waters abruptly turned to Hill and bluntly asked, “Can you shut him up?”
It was at that moment that Bessent fired back, questioning Waters directly about her conduct. “What about the housing stock for working Americans?” he asked, before adding, “And can you maintain some level of dignity?” The remark landed just as Hill announced that Waters’s time had expired.
Waters objected, arguing that Bessent had consumed her allotted time and insisting that the chair take that into account. Hill, however, stood firm and reiterated that her time was over.
“The gentleman took up my time. I think you should recognize that, Mr. Chair,” Waters protested, but the ruling did not change.
The tense exchange was not an isolated incident. Throughout the hearing, Bessent sparred with several Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., who reportedly spent much of his time raising his voice at the Treasury Secretary.
When Bessent finally had an opportunity to respond, he remained composed and offered a dry retort. “Could you speak a little louder? I can’t hear you,” he said calmly.
Lynch replied with a terse and sarcastic, “Yeah, okay.”
The confrontations highlighted the sharp partisan tone of the hearing, with Democrats aggressively pressing the administration over tariffs and economic policy, and Bessent pushing back against what he appeared to view as grandstanding rather than genuine debate.
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