AOC Slams GOP Rep. For ‘Disrespect’ in Shouting Match With Environmental Lawyer: ‘Never Seen Anything Like That’

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (R-NY) blasted her Republican colleague, Congressman Clay Higgins (LA), for talking down to an environmental lawyer who testified before them during a House Oversight Committee hearing.

Sparks flew between Higgins and environmental lawyer Raya Salter on Thursday as they verbally sparred over the impact of pollution from facilities working with petrochemicals.

“The fossil fuel industry that owns your state is destroying the earth and the natural world. And that is a fact, sir,” Salter told Higgins at the end of their heated back-and-forth. The Louisiana representative responded to that by telling Satler “You know what you got, young lady? You got a lot of noise, but you got no answers.”

Later in the hearing, Ocasio-Cortez reprimanded Higgins for his attitude toward Salter, and she wondered what it says about how he treats women in private.

I wanted to address Ms. Salter directly. I just want you to know that in the 4 years that I’ve sat on this committee, I have never seen members of Congress — Republican or Democrat — disrespect a witness in the way that I have seen them disrespect you today. I do not care what party they are in. I’ve never seen anything like that. And for the gentleman from Louisiana, and the comfort that he felt in yelling at you like that, there’s more than one way to get a point across. Frankly, men who treat women like that in public, I fear how they treat them in private! We can be better than this. We don’t have to resort to yelling.

Ocasio-Cortez went to express her hope that “someone would issue you an apology.”

“But because I don’t believe he will,” she continued, “I want to apologize to you about the conduct of this committee and what we just witnessed. The people do not deserve to see that, and we deserve to put forward a better front.”

Watch above.