Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders was floored.
A Teamsters Union Boss and a GOP Senator were about to turn the Committee hearing into an MMA cage fight.
And a Congressional hearing erupted into chaos after a top Republican Senator and a Union Boss nearly came to blows.
Tensions reached a boiling point on Tuesday during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill.
The heated confrontation took place when Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) confronted witness Sean O’Brien of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters over previous comments he made about him.
O’Brien previously referred to Mullin as a “clown” and a “fraud” who “pretends to be self-made.”
“I wish he was in the truck with me when I was building my plumbing company, myself and when my wife was running the office,” Mullin said, before adding “because I sure remember working pretty hard and long hours.”
Mullin is now a multimillionaire after dropping out of college early to take over his father’s plumbing business when he fell ill and could no longer run it on a daily basis.
The Senator then read from one of O’Brien’s comments about him where he said to “quit the tough guy act in these Senate hearings,” before adding that “you know where to find me, any place, any time, cowboy.”
Mullin, who is a former professional MMA cage fighter with a 5-0 record, determined that the Congressional hearing room was the right time and the right place.
“Sir, this is a time, this is a place,” Mullin told O’Brien. “You want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults and we can finish it here.”
“OK, that’s fine, perfect,” O’Brien responded.
“You want to do it now?” Mullin shot back.
“I would love to do it right now,” O’Brien said.
“Well, stand your butt up then,” Mullin said, prompting O’Brien to fire back with “you stand your butt up, big guy.”
Mullin happily accepted the challenge, stood up, and began taking off his wedding ring in preparation for a fight.
But that’s when Chairman Bernie Sanders intervened and stopped Mullin from getting a submission or knockout on the Union Boss in front of everyone.
“Stop it, hold it, no, no, sit down,” Bernie Sanders said. “You’re a United States Senator,” he added. “Sit down.”
Mullin and O’Brien continued exchanging words for a few more minutes, leading Sanders to get even louder on the microphone.
“Excuse me, hold it,” Sanders said. “Senator Mullin, I have the mic.”
“We’re not here to talk about physical abuse,” Sanders added.
Mullin then pointed a finger at O’Brien and called him a “thug.”
“Hold it,” Sanders said while banging his gavel. “This is a hearing to discuss economic issues, we’re not here to talk about fights or anything else.”
Mullin is a former professional fighter who appears to keep himself in top physical shape.
Teamsters Union Boss O’Brien should thank Bernie Sanders for saving him from a humiliating beat down on camera in the Senate.
