House Democrats marched to the Senate side of the Capitol on Thursday to the office of Senate Majority Leader John Thune, expressing outrage over the forcible removal of Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) from Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem‘s press conference in Los Angeles.
Their anger was evident as they passed by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who was speaking to reporters following the narrow passage of a rescissions package to cut funding to public broadcasting and foreign aid.
As Johnson argued that Padilla was at fault and was charging at Noem, some Democratic members shouted, “That’s a lie!” and “Why don’t you stand up for Congress?” Johnson said that he thought Padilla’s behavior as “wildly inappropriate” and said that he would support a Senate investigation.
The tensions were apparent as video of the incident spread on social media.
On the floor of the House, Rep. John Mannion (D-NY) shouted at Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) to “get over there and get some f—ing balls,” referring to the Republican side of the aisle.
The chamber had been bustling during a vote, but suddenly got silent as Mannion shouted.
“You know who I am. I am a New Yorker just like you. This country is falling apart,” Mannion said.
Earlier, Mannion had told reporters, “Cover the actions that lead us towards authoritarianism, please,” according to Politico.
Video of the incident showed Padilla saying that he was there to ask Noem a question. As he tried to remain in the room, federal agents could be seen pushing him back. He was then shoved out of the room and forced to the ground, where he was handcuffed.
Thune has not commented.
Democratic senators took to the floor to voice their anger over the incident. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “To look at this video and see what happened reeks—reeks—of totalitarianism.This is not what democracies do.”
Schumer added, “Senator Padilla was there legitimately in that building, to ask questions of what’s going on in California, which everybody wants to know answers to. We don’t get answers when we ask the administration questions in one way or another.”
Padilla said, “I began to ask a question. I was almost immediately forcibly removed from the room. I was forced to the ground, and I was handcuffed. I was not arrested. I was not detained.”
