Things getting heated on the Hill…
Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT) and Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin (OK) traded sharp words during a Senate hearing Tuesday that quickly went viral on social media and drew widespread reaction from conservative commentators.
At a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing on the nomination of Dr. Casey Means as U.S. surgeon general, Mullin accused Sanders and others of resisting change to the Affordable Care Act.
“Everybody we bring up here, you guys chastise for trying to make changes… God forbid we change and try to fix our broken system. Anyway, I ranted too long,” Mullin said.
When Sanders interjected, telling Mullin, “Yes, you did,” the Oklahoma Republican unloaded.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t ask your opinion on that, and if I cared about your opinion I would ask you. But I don’t care about your opinion. You’re part of the system. You’re part of the problem. You’ve been sitting here longer than I’ve even been alive. This is your problem. You should have fixed this a long time ago,” he said.
Sanders responded sarcastically that he had chosen not to run for surgeon general and quipped to Mullin, “You’re the nominee I’ve decided,” before Mullin dismissed the remark and resumed his questioning of Means.
The exchange rapidly circulated on X and other platforms, with conservative voices celebrating Mullin’s remarks.
Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of the “Charlie Kirk Show,” posted that things “did not end well for the octogenarian socialist,” while comedian Tim Young mocked Sanders’ longevity in office, saying he should have solved problems by now.
Journalist Anna Matson wrote that Sanders was “all talk and no action,” and political commentator Dan Dakich declared the “Swamp being DRAINED.” Eric Daughterty exclaimed that Mullin had “PUMMELED Bernie Sanders to his FACE.”
The clash marked the latest in a string of high-profile confrontations between the two senators. Mullin, a former mixed martial arts athlete known for his combative style, has repeatedly sparred with colleagues across the aisle; a 2023 hearing saw him nearly come to blows with Teamsters President Sean O’Brien while Sanders was involved in the same exchange.
Sanders, who serves on the HELP Committee and has long championed major health policy reforms including single-payer proposals, pushed back against Mullin’s characterization of the debate and sought to keep focus on Means’ fitness for the surgeon general role amidst broader policy disagreements over Obamacare and public health strategy.
Dr. Means’ confirmation hearing itself drew attention from both sides of the aisle, with senators of both parties challenging her views on vaccines, medical qualifications and the direction of U.S. health policy.
Watch the ex change above.