Rep. Al Green tells DHS Secretary Mullin to 'shut up' in heated congressional hearing
A House committee meeting focused on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding turned into a shouting match on Wednesday after Democratic Representative Al Green launched a verbal attack on what he deemed was "racist." The trouble began during the allotted five minutes of questioning for Representative Green.
The Texas lawmaker opened his remarks by invoking his personal experiences with segregation, stating, "In my lifetime, I went to the back door to get my food, I drank from filthy colored water fountains, I sat in the back of the bus in the balcony of the movie when a seat was available. So let me just share some of the characteristics of a racist, Mr. Secretary."
Green then proceeded to hold up blurred photographs, declaring that "a racist will depict people of color as apes" and "a racist wouldn't apologize after doing this." He claimed that "racists take offense at peaceful protest." Secretary Mullin inferred Greene's statement as a personal attack directed towards him. He interrupted the Texas lawmaker, saying, "Are you calling me a racist?"
This did not go down well with Greene, who immediately reclaimed his speaking time and began shouting over the DHS Secretary. "A racist… I'm asking a question, reclaiming my time! Ask him to shut up! That's a pretty…Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! It's my time!" Green scathed. Mullin, meanwhile, refused to back down, firing back, "I'm not going to let anyone call me a racist." He then invoked his own Native American heritage, stating, "I'm Cherokee, too."
Committee Chairman Andrew Garbarino furiously banged his gavel to restore order, warning Green that his line of questioning was pushing the boundaries of congressional decorum. "It is a violation of House, of our committee rules to disparage another member, a witness, or the President or the Vice President," Garbarino said.
Green defended his aggressive posture through a parliamentary inquiry, arguing, "When I'm speaking, uh, I believe that the time belongs to me. I don't think that the Secretary should interrupt me when I'm speaking."
Once the panel resumed, Green doubled down on his criticisms of Mullin's temperament by playing a viral throwback video from a 2023 Senate hearing, during which Mullin challenged Teamsters president Sean O'Brien to a physical fight. Green used the clip to argue that Mullin lacks the proper disposition to lead a massive federal department.
"I do not believe that he is qualified because he doesn't have the temperament to deal with people in a respectful way," Green concluded as his time expired. "I peacefully protested. I would do it again, because I know the history of apes and how they have been used to demean people of color."
