‘I know I’m a woman’: Dem scolds Trump Treasury secretary over his interruptions
Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) scolded Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for repeatedly interrupting her at a House hearing.
During his Wednesday testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee, Sanchez instructed Bessent to restrict his answers to yes or no.
"Mr. Secretary, do you still believe that the president's tariffs are going to be a one-time price adjustment for American families?" she asked.
"If prices go up, they will be one time," Bessent stated.
"Okay, well, unfortunately, you appear to be talking out of both sides of your mouth because you yourself have admitted, after conversations with Walmart, that some tariff costs are going to get passed on to consumers. And in fact, we've already seen that prices are rising on many everyday goods," Sanchez remarked.
"No, Congresswoman, today we had a point one increase..." Bessent interrupted.
"The time is mine," Sanchez fired back. "The time is mine. Please don't interrupt me. I will ask you questions and I will grant you an opportunity to answer them."
"But please don't interrupt me during my time," she continued. "Okay, I know I'm a woman, but please try to limit yourself to answering my questions."
Sanchez then responded to others in the room who were groaning at her complaints.
"No, I'm sorry, but we get talked over all the time, and I don't want that to happen at this hearing," she insisted.
"I would remind members, the gentlelady is recognized," Chairman Adam Smith (R-NE) pointed out.
"Thank you," Sanchez said. "The time is mine. Clothing is going up 20%. Shoe prices in canned goods like chicken noodle soup and canned fruit and microwave meals have gone up 15%. Toys are getting more expensive. Walmart just raised the prices of dinosaur action figures."
"On average, Trump's tariffs are estimated to cost households $3,000 more for the same goods than they would have last year," she added.
"That's incorrect," Bessent interrupted again.
"The best estimates are that consumers will pay $3,000 more for the same goods," Sanchez said. "And that estimate is from what they did last year."
Lawyer rips Epstein adviser’s ‘gross’ claim about ‘American hero’: ‘Shame on her’
An attorney for several survivors of Jeffrey Epstein said he was "appalled" on Thursday after a high-powered corporate attorney who advised the late child sex offender told lawmakers that she did not view Virginia Giuffre as a "credible witness."
Attorney Arick Fudali, who represents 11 Epstein survivors, told CNN anchor Boris Sanchez he was stunned to learn about the comments from attorney Kathy Ruemmler, the former Goldman Sachs general counsel, who was questioned behind closed doors by the House Oversight Committee earlier this month about her relationship with the financier.
Ruemmler told congressional leaders that she thought Giuffre, one of the most prominent accusers of Epstein and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, "lacked inherent credibility."
Ruemmler's comment has left Giuffre's family furious, and Fudali shared his reaction with CNN.
"It's appalling. It's gross. You know, any adjective you can possibly think of and [it's] really offensive for her to say that about Ms. Giuffre, who, in my opinion, is an American hero, someone who suffered greatly and someone who inspired so many other survivors, not just of Jeffrey Epstein, but of sexual abuse around the world," Fudali said.
"Ms. Giuffre is the reason, I know personally, that a lot of women were able to feel comfortable, feel strong, and feel empowered enough to step forward," Fudali added. "So shame on her for saying anything of the sort. Anything, especially casting doubt on Ms. Giuffre's allegations."
