Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) had a sharp response for Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during a heated hearing on Wednesday.
Bessent was testifying before the Senate Finance Committee on President Donald Trump's budget request when Hassan questioned him about whether the administration was focusing on affordability concerns for Americans amid rising gas and grocery prices.
"What is very clear to me is that neither you, nor the president, nor this administration are willing to acknowledge how much more people are paying at the gas pump, at the grocery store, or in utilities, for healthcare — for all aspects of American life — nor have you acknowledged the number of manufacturing jobs that were lost in 2025," Hassan said.
Bessent tried to interject and claimed the cost of groceries was higher during the Biden administration. Hassan then corrected him, pointing out she was referring to the Trump administration, and the two started to talk over each other in a fiery exchange.
"The administration has claimed that its top priority is lowering costs for American families but the president instead continues to pursue vanity projects at a significant costs to taxpayers," Hassan said. "He requested $1 billion for the White House ballroom, spent $45 million on a military birthday parade, proposed $100 million arch at Memorial Circle, and now Treasury is planning production of a $250 dollar bill with his face on it. Mr. Secretary, how does the president's requested billion-dollar ballroom, or all of these other vanity products, lower costs for American families or help constrain spending?"
"Senator, first of all you're incorrect. There is no cost to the American people," Bessent said in response.
Bessent claimed the "decorative part of the ballroom is privately funded."
Hassan pushed back on his comments.
"It is national security matters that the billion dollars are for," Bessent said.
But the Democratic senator wasn't convinced.
"That's ridiculous and I think you know it," Hassan said.
