Democratic lawmakers on the House Foreign Affairs Committee are growing frustrated with chair Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) over his leadership — including “barely-veiled personal jabs” and other provocations — and are already "vowing they won't forget" if they reclaim the majority in the midterms, Punchbowl News reported Friday.
During a recent hearing in the committee attended by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Mast “cut off” Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), the top Democrat on the committee, during his opening statement. Back in March, Mast chastised Meeks over his attendance after the New York Democrat pushed to subpoena Trump administration officials regarding the U.S. war against Iran.
Regarding his opening statement being cut short, Meeks said it was “disrespectful” of Mast, Punchbowl News reported. Meeks also issued a vague warning to the Florida Republican, who once controversially appeared on Capitol Hill wearing an Israel Defense Forces uniform.
“It’s something I won’t forget when I become chair,” Meeks said.
Mast, according to Punchbowl News, dismissed Democratic criticisms directed his way.
“[They] can piss and moan about it all they want,” Mast said. “If they didn’t get to all of the Republican and Democrat members, then I would have had to hear them b------- about the fact that [Rubio] didn’t stay for everybody, so I started immediately on time.”
Mast has a storied history of sparking outrage in the House Foreign Affairs Committee for his leadership, including during a hearing earlier this month in which he refused to allow a Democratic member to reclaim lost time after being interrupted by Rubio.
“He is interrupting me!” Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA) told Mast.
“Do something about it," Mast responded, declining to intervene.