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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was shouted at during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing this week by a Chicago-area Democrat amid a heated exchange over the Trump economy.
Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., followed several other Democrats in condemning rising prices during the Iran conflict, while Bessent repeatedly pushed back on assertions about his policies by pointing to higher commodity prices during the Biden administration.
At one point in the exchange, Bessent slammed Schneider’s Democrat-run Illinois for driving people away through its own economic policies — a comment that incensed the lawmaker.
Bessent first jabbed at Schneider after the Democrat asked whether he wanted to “correct the record” on a prior statement about the Iran conflict being “ended,” asking the secretary whether Iran was no longer a threat to Israel or U.S. allies and whether its offensive weaponry had been destroyed.
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Bessent smiled and asked if that meant Schneider was “in agreement” with President Donald Trump — as the Democrat had listed off all the president’s goals otherwise ridiculed by critics.
“Unless an American life is lost, he does not believe that he will have to restart the kinetic attacks,” Bessent said.
Schneider became increasingly agitated and reclaimed his time as the back-and-forth grew heated.
Schneider connected the Iran conflict with increased commodities prices, saying that the cost of living is continuing to rise and blaming Bessent and his boss for overseeing such spikes.
Bessent countered that the Treasury calculated the current core inflation rate at 2.8%, close to the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal, and quipped to Schneider that “you can list off the most expensive groceries that have had the biggest price increases.”
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When Schneider responded that Bessent was out of touch and reiterated that he blamed Trump tariffs for commodity spikes for his Chicago-area constituents, Bessent smiled and offered him an invitation on how to fix that.
“Well, you Democrats should know — no wonder so many people are leaving Illinois. Why don’t you come see me in South Carolina?” Bessent said, as Schneider continued in an elevated tone and claimed people were not leaving the Land of Lincoln.
“You’re saying Illinois doesn’t have net outbound migration?” Bessent quipped.
Schneider then changed the subject to Trump’s settlement with the IRS over former Booz Allen Hamilton contractor Charles Littlejohn’s leak of his and others’ tax returns.
When Schneider fumed that no one, including Trump, is “above the law,” Bessent said that the president is also not “beneath the law” and blamed Schneider’s party for “weaponizing the system.”
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“His taxes should never be leaked. No taxpayer information should be leaked…” Schneider began before Bessent injected his dry humor again.
“Then, congressman, would you like to apologize to the president right now on behalf [of your party]?”
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